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REPORT 




Joint Legislative Committee 



)pointed Pursuant to Assembly Concurrent 
Resolution No, 26, 1915 




California State Printing Office 

Sacramento. 

19 17 



REPORT 



Joint Legislative Committee 



Appointed Pursuant to Assembly Concurrent 
Resolution No. 26, 1915 




California State Printing Office 
Sacramento. 

19 17 



27503 






^ 



CONTENTS. 



Pack 
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAI 3 

REPORT r, 

INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT 5 

AUTHORSHIP OF TEXTS 9 

PRINTING IN SECTIONS 11 

FREE TEXTBOOKS 12 

California Illustrations 13 

Committee Recommendations 15 

PRINTING BY THE STATE 16 

STATE UNIFORMITY OF TEXTBOOKS 10 

EXHIBITS 34 



D. of D.- 
KB 23 1917 






- 



LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 



To the members of the Senate and Assembly of the Legislature of Cali- 
fornia at its forty-second session. 

In conformity with the provision of Assembly Concurrent Resolution 
No. 26, adopted at the session of 1915, there is herewith transmitted 
to you for your consideration the report of the committee appointed 
under the terms of such resolution, together with its findings and 
recommendations as to the matters included in the investigation. 

NEWTON W. THOMPSON. 
EDW. K. STROBRIDGE. 
HOWARD J. FISH. 
B. B. MEEK. 
W. W. HARRIS. 



REPORT. 



The legislature of 1915 adopted a resolution (Assembly Concurrent 
Resolution No. 26), the text of which is as follows: 

Whereas, The purchase of textbook plates and the annual pay- 
ment of royalties amounts to a sum greater than would necessarily 
be expended if this work was compiled by California authors ; and 

Whereas, There is^ a sentiment among the school faculties and 
parents of school children, that the books should be issued in sec- 
tions to cover a term instead of several years, and used by but one 
pupil; and 

Whereas, The issuance of free textbooks to the students of the 
elementary schools has proved a success, both in educational 
advantages and economy; therefore, be it 

Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the speaker 
of the assembly shall appoint three members, and the president of 
the senate shall appoint three members, who shall act as a com- 
mittee of the legislature to investigate the matters contained in this 
resolution and the advisability and means of furnishing textbooks 
free to the students of the secondary schools of the state, and all 
matters relating thereto, and to report their findings in full to the 
forty-second session of the legislature ; and be it further 

Resolved, That the committee shall have power to employ a 
secretary and such other assistants as it may deem necessary, and 
that the expenses incurred in such investigation, not to exceed the 
sum of two thousand dollars, shall be paid equally by the assembly 
and the senate out of their respective contingent funds. 

Pursuant to the direction of this resolution, the following were named 
to act : 

Senators Newton W. Thompson, 
Edw. K. Strobridge, 
D. J. Beban. 

Assemblymen Howard J. Fish, 
B. B. Meek, 
W. W. Harris. 

The members met informally in the State Capitol on May 12, 1915, 
and requested Arthur P. Will, Chief of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, 
to correspond with the proper officials in various states and to gather 
such available information as would throw light on the subject before 
the committee. 

Your committee desires- to express its hearty appreciation of the effi- 
cient assistance rendered by the Legislative .Counsel Bureau and the 
cordial cooperation of the chief of that bureau, Mr. Arthur P. Will, 
who, at the request of the committee, has acted as secretary for . the 



b KEi'ORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

entire period without compensation, The arrangement thus outlined 
has enabled the committee to secure efficient assistance and to carry on 
its work at a minimum expenditure. Any other plan would have 
required the employment of a permanent secretary for a considerable 
period of time, and a considerable outlay for clerical assistance. 

In conformity with this direction, an identical letter and list of ques- 
tions was sent to the Superintendent of Public Instruction or equivalent 
officer in every state and territory under the jurisdiction of the federal 
government. This letter and questionnaire are printed in the appendix 
herein as Exhibit "A" and Exhibit "B" respectively. The responses 
were prompt and courteous and much information was obtained that 
has been of value to the committee. 

In the latter part of 1915 the United States Bureau of Education 
published a pamphlet containing the result of an investigation con- 
ducted by it which throws considerable light on some of the questions 
under examination. Copies of this pamphlet (Bulletin, 1915, No. 36 — 
Whole No. 663) were courteously furnished the Legislative Counsel 
Bureau for the use of your committee. 

A call having been issued for a second meeting, four members of the 
committee met in the State Capitol on November 3, 1915. Two of the 
senate members were unable to be present at this meeting, one on 
account of illness and the other by reason of engagement in public work 
elsewhere. The members present, however, received and discussed the 
information then on hand and directed that the investigations be 
pursued. 

Before the members came together again, one of their number, Senator 
D. J. Beban, was removed by death. Senator Beban was an active and 
loyal public servant. He was deeply interested in the work of the 
committee, and during their subsequent deliberations the remaining 
members have realized that they and the public have suffered an appre- 
ciable loss. 

The next meeting of the committee was held in the State Offices in 
Los Angeles on March 20, 1916. The committee convened at 10.30 a.m. 
on that date and continued in session for three days. At this meeting 
the committee organized by the election of Senator Newton W. Thomp- 
son as chairman. Arthur P. Will, Chief of the Legislative Counsel 
Bureau, was requested to act as secretary of the committee. 

The first two days of this session were given over to public hearings. 
Formal addresses were made by Messrs. Will C. Wood, Commissioner 
of Secondary Schools; Noel II. Garrison, principal of the Stockton 
High School, representing the California Slate Convention of High 
School Principals, and George Tracy of San Francisco, on behalf of 
the California Typographical Conference. These addresses are repre- 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 7 

sentative of the different viewpoints of various portions of the com- 
munity, and therefore are reproduced in full in the appendix as 
Exhibits "C," "D" and "E" respectively. After each address the 
meeting was thrown open for discussion, and advantage was taken of 
the opportunity by teachers and by others present to ask for information 
and to present their views. Among others, the committee heard at 
this time Messrs. H. W. Dennett, representing the members of the Allied 
Printing Trades of Los Angeles; W. L. Glascock, representing the Cali- 
fornia Teachers ' Association ; Mark Keppel, Los Angeles County Super- 
intendent of Schools; E. H. McMath, principal of the Santa Ana High 
School; W. H. Snyder, principal of the Hollywood High School, repre- 
senting the State Council of Education ; T. E. Hughes, representing the 
high school teachers of Los Angeles, and Charles T. Scott, represent- 
ing the International Typographical Union. On the third day of this 
meeting, the members, on the invitation of the Los Angeles teachers, 
visited the Los Angeles High School, Lincoln High School, Hollywood 
High School, Los Angeles Polytechnic High School and Gardena High 
School. 

The second public hearing, and the fourth meeting of the committee, 
was in the rooms of the State Harbor Commission in San Francisco on 
May 15 to 17, 1916. 

At the invitation of local committees, your committee inspected, 
during this meeting, the following schools: Oakland Polytechnic High 
School, Oakland Vocational High School, Oakland High School, Fre- 
mont High School and the Evening Polytechnic High School in San 
Francisco. 

At the hearing Mr. George Tracy again addressed the committee on 
points not fully covered by him in his previous address. His remarks 
on this occasion are substantially embodied in his paper printed herein 
as Exhibit "E." 

At this meeting, Mr. Robert L. Telfer, Superintendent of State 
Printing, also presented a printed brief on behalf of the various interests 
supporting the proposal for free high school textbooks and in advocacy 
of the printing of such books by the state, which may be found in the 
appendix as Exhibit "P." 

Among others who addressed the committee at this meeting was 
Mr. E. M. Cox, principal of the Fremont High School in Oakland. He 
was followed by Mr. L. B. Avery, who argued in favor of permissive 
textbooks, and by Mr. G. W. Wright of Modoc, who spoke against 
uniformity and against printing by the state. Mr. W. H. Tenney of 
Oakland also opposed the proposition. Mr. Heaton of San Francisco 
and Mr. Drackert of Typographical Union No. 46 of Sacramento, and 
others participated in an informal discussion. Mr. G. M. Fischer, 



8 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

principal of the Oakland Polytechnic High School, advocated furnishing 
texthooks free and adopting a standard of uniformity in the more 
general subjects. He declared that this would not be practicable for 
modern industrial subjects and proposed a conference of a committee 
of the legislature and the State Board of Education, at which a uniform 
list of textbooks could be prescribed. Others who addressed the com- 
mittee on various phases of the subject were Mr. Thompson of Alameda, 
Mr. Sutton of Oakland, Mr. Lee of Oakland, Mr. Smith, representing 
Ginn & Company, publishers of school books, and Mr. Page of Berkeley. 

Mr. Will C. Wood, Commissioner of Secondary Schools, asked and 
obtained leave of the committee to file a brief in reply to the brief sub- 
mitted by Mr. Telfer. This reply brief is printed herein as 
Exhibit "G." 

Thus your committee has afforded opportunity to all interested in 
the subjects within the scope of its examination to appear and be heard. 
Prior to each public hearing appropriate notice was given by mail to 
individuals who had expressed a desire to be heard, and through the 
press a general invitation to be present was issued to all those having 
information that would be of value to the committee. As appears from 
the above recital, many have availed themselves of the invitation. And 
in addition to the information furnished by those interested on one side 
or another in various phases of the subject, the committee has gathered 
from independent sources much interesting and valuable data. This 
data has been considered carefully by the members individually and 
when meeting together for the purpose. 

The largest single item of expense in California is for education. It 
appears from the annual report of the Superintendent of Public 
Instruction that, for the fiscal year 1915-16, the entire expenditure of 
public funds devoted to that purpose exceeded $36,000,000, or more than 
$12 per capita. Of this enormous total, nearly $10,000,000 was 
expended for secondary schools. This report also shows that the value 
of high school property within the state is in excess of $26,500,000, 
while the outstanding bonded debt of high school districts is nearly 
$13,500,000. The total bonded debt of school districts in the state as 
shown by this report is about $42. <)()(). OOO. an increase of nearly 
$6,000,000 over the preceding year. 

These figures eloquently testify to the generous provision made from 
public funds for the support of education. In this connection, attention 
is directed to the opinion expressed to your committee by the Superin- 
tendent of Public Instruction thai a substantial saving could be effected 
by a change of methods without at all impairing educational facilities. 
Various suggestions and recommendations for substantial saving in 
school expenditures may he found in this report. 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 9 

Your committee reassembled in the rooms of the Legislative Counsel 
Bureau on October 11, 12 and 13, on December 7, 8 and 9, and again on 
December 18 and 19, 1916, examined the information before it and dis- 
cussed at length the bearing of such information upon the points at 
issue. The result of these deliberations is herewith submitted. 

I. 

Authorship of Texts. 

The members of your committee are agreed that it has not been 
demonstrated that, in the words of the first recital of Assembly Con- 
current Resolution No. 26, 1915, "the purchase of textbook plates and 
the annual payment of royalties amounts to a sum greater than 
would necessarily be expended if this work was compiled by California 
authors. ' ' 

In an effort to obtain light on this matter, the secretary was instructed 
to send to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction the following 
letter : 

"I have been instructed by the legislative committee appointed 
pursuant to Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 26 to ask if you 
will kindly furnish information on the following points: 

1. What elementary textbooks compiled or prepared by Cali- 
fornia authors under authority of the State Board of Education 
have been used in the schools of this state ? In addition to naming 
the books and the authors, please give (a) the cost of each book, 
(b) the number of each used, (c) the period and length of time 
during which each was used, (d) the cost to the state of each com- 
pilation, specifying separately the copyright or royalty cost. 

2. Please give a list of the books by California authors which 
have proven successful and state the period of their use in the 
schools. 

3. Are any copyrights of school books now controlled by this 
state ? If any, please give the name of the work and of the author 
thereof. (Please note that this query is not limited to California 
authors.) 

4. Please give a list of the books and of the authors thereof now 
in use upon which the state is paying a royalty or the copyright 
to which the state has purchased or leased, and state the amount 
of the royalty or the cost of the copyright, as the case may be, 
in each instance. 

5. Please give the particulars of each instance in which the state 
has sought to obtain control of textbook copyrights but has been 
deterred because of prohibitive cost or other reasons. 

Information on the above points at your earliest convenience will 
be greatly appreciated by the Legislative Committee." 

To this Mr. Hyatt replied as follows : 

"Answering your letter of December 11th, I assure you that I 



10 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

shall be very glad to cooperate with you and give you all the infor- 
mation that is within my power. I shall answer your questions 
seriatim, as follows : 

1. I enclose herewith a brief history of the. California textbook 
plan, which contains a good deal of the information requested in 
this paragraph. You will find the time divided into three periods, 
first, second and third. Up until 1903 all the books issued by the 
state were by California authors, as explained in the text of the 
circular. The circular also gives the cost of each book and the 
period during which it was used. 

2. It would not be possible to pick out which of these books were 
successful and which were unsuccessful. That is purely a matter 
of personal opinion. In the minds of those who issued the books 
they were very successful. In the minds of all book publishers they 
were very unsuccessful. The rest of the world was divided in its 
opinion. 

3. All the copyrights up to 1903 belonged to the state and are 
controlled by the state absolutely. There is one small exception 
to this, in that a small royalty was paid to the Houghton, Mifflin 
Company for a portion of the matter used in one of the readers. 
This was so small as to be negligible. 

4. On page 11 of the circular above referred to you will find a 
list of the books in use at the present time with the royalty on each, 
the cost price, and the trade name of each book. Only two of these 
are by a California author, namely, the two arithmetics. All of the 
books are published on a royalty basis, and the state does not own 
the copyright to any of them. 

5. I do not recall any specific instances of the state seeking to 
obtain control of textbook copyrights. In all adoptions the state 
has advertised for competitive bids for furnishing textbooks, and 
it has always found the royalty basis to be the most advantageous 
so far as could be ascertained. All proposals that they have made 
to publishers for the purchase of the copyright of a popular book 
have been met by refusals or the naming of impossible figures. 

I enclose with the above our latest report showing some more 
textbook figures which may be of interest. When you have looked 
over all of these, if there still remain any doubtful points in your 
mind, or if you desire any further information, I shall be glad 
to serve you to the best of my ability." 

The history of the California textbook plan referred to in Mr. Hyatt's 
letter is reprinted herein as Exhibit "IT." 

This problem has been the subject of careful investigation elsewhere. 
In their report made after a thorough research, the Textbook Com- 
mission of the Province of Ontario used the following language which 
is peculiarly applicable to our situation: 

"The department may select an author to prepare a textbook. 
then engage a publisher and fix the price at which the text shall be 
sold to the public. This is the method which, speaking generally, 
was adopled under the two previous Ministers of Education. The 
author selected was not necessarily the one who could produce the 



REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 11 

best text ; the publisher had the price fixed for him and he imme- 
diately set to work to make the most money he could out of his 
contract. Consequently the present textbooks are unsatisfactory. 
A second method may be considered. The Department might 
have all its texts prepared under its authority, make its own plates, 
own all the rights in the texts and then have them printed by 
tender. If the Department represented the whole of Canada 
instead of one province this system might be expedient. For a 
single province to adopt such a plan would be expensive and 
cumbersome. ' ' 

Your committee is therefore of the opinion that the present policy 
of the state, in this regard, should be pursued. It is too late to nurse 
California authors at the expense of the educational system. "While, 
other things being equal, California authors should have the preference, 
yet your committee believes it is the part of wisdom and in accord with 
the almost universal sentiment of the people that the best available book 
for our high school pupils should be procured without regard to its 
source. 

II. 

Printing in Sections. 

The members of the committee are agreed that there is very little 
evidence in conformity with the second recital of the above-named 
resolution, to the effect that "there is a sentiment among the school 
faculties and parents of school children, that the books should be issued 
in sections to cover a term instead of several years, and used by but one 
pupil." 

There have been some such statements made to the committee in a 
more or less cursory manner and it is reported that in one or two dis- 
tricts a movement of the sort is on foot. The principal argument in 
favor of furnishing texts to pupils in sections is that such a plan lessens 
the chance of transmitting disease. It may be observed, however, that 
all the danger of this kind that exists in connection with the use of 
school books is attendant in a much greater degree upon the use of 
library books. No positive evidence has been presented on the subject, 
and certainly it does not appear that there is any general public demand 
for the issuance of books in sections. 

III. 

Free Textbooks. 

The members of the committee agree that, undoubtedly, the third 
recital of the resolution is in accordance with the fact and that the 



L2 REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

issuance of free textbooks to the students of the elementary schools of 
California has proven a very marked success. 

A report presented to the legislature in 1915 by the New York state 
department of efficiency and economy estimates the cost of supplying 

free textbooks in both the elementary and secondary schools. New- 
York City has furnished free books for many years. The experience of 
seventeen cities furnishing secondary school books is presented, and 
the conclusion is that the cost of the installation of a system of free 
textbooks in the high schools would average .+4.8487 for each pupil "if 
purchased from private publishers at prices paid by the city of New 
York." This figure represents the cost of new books; in other words, 
the initial cost of the new system. "The cost of renewal, or the annual 
cost of a free textbook system for New York State, is estimated from 
the annual cost in free textbook cities of the state as follows : In elemen- 
tary schools, $0.6456 ; in secondary schools, $1.5833." 
Investigation discloses that — ■ 

(a) Textbooks are furnished free to pupils of the high schools in 
Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts. Nebraska, Nevada, New 
Hampshire, New Jersey, Panama, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont 
and Wyoming. 

(b) They are furnished by the state in Maryland and Panama Canal 
Zone; by the town or city in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and 
Vermont; by the local school committee or board of education (except 
in the city of Wilmington) in Delaware; by the district in Nebraska. 
Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Wyoming. 

In Nebraska, approximately $200,000 was spent for free high school 
books in 1914-15. 

In New Jersey, where the enrollment is 38,099, for textbooks and 
supplies there was expended $111,421.11, or an average of $2.92 per 
pupil. 

In Porto Rico, for an enrollment of 2,960, there was expended for 
textbooks $4,972.22, or an average of $1.68 per pupil. 

In West Virginia, less than $5,000 (estimated) was spent for text- 
books. 

In Wyoming, the total enrollment in grades and high schools was 
27,536; in high schools, 2,533. Expended for free books of all kinds, 
$33,000. 

In Veniionl the total enrollment in high schools was 5,975; expended 
for free textbooks in high and elementary schools, $50,016.61. Fur- 
nishing to high schools is permissive, but is almost universal. 

In Maryland, where textbooks are purchased by the county school 
boards with state appropriation, and in Baltimore City, by the Board 
of Commissioners, textbooks are bought by competitive bidding. One 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



13 



hundred fifty thousand dollars is appropriated annually for this pur- 
pose. The enrollment in high schools last year was 5,550 and the cost 
of high school textbooks was not segregated. 

(c) Textbooks are furnished free in some localities in Colorado, 
Connecticut, Florida (four counties), Iowa, Ohio and West Virginia. 

In Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, 
Louisiana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vir- 
ginia and perhaps some other states, books are furnished free to indigent 
pupils. 

In Idaho, the State Board of Education has the power to determine 
whether textbooks shall be free. 

(d) In states where it is optional with districts to furnish free text- 
books, the following has been the result: 



Districts using free books 



Percentage of pupils 



Colorado 

Connecticut _ 

Idaho 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Missouri 

Montana 

New York 

North Dakota 

Ohio 

South Dakota 

Texas 

Washington __ 
West Virginia 
Wisconsin 



20 per cent. 

133 out of 168 towns. 

75 per cent 

70 out of 5,000. 
Very few. 

1,177 

6,599 out of 9,763 

323 



613 out of 1,369. 



3,679 out of 6,614. 
20 cities 



Practice too recent for figures. 

1,437 

50 out of 342 

37 cities out of 78; 2,836 others out of 7,000. 



85 per cent 
Over 75 per cent 

Nearly 20 per cent 
90 per cent 
30 per cent 
57 per cent 

65 per cent 
50 per cent 
16 per cent 

5 per cent 

70 per cent 
20 per cent 

66 per cent 



California Illustrations. 

Three high school districts in California, San Mateo, Conley and 
Clovis, have of their own volition provided free textbooks for their 
pupils. In these districts the plan has worked satisfactorily. The 
superintendent of San Mateo says : 

"The San Mateo High School in this county, which has an 
enrollment of 290 pupils, furnishes all of the books for the students. 
They commenced the system this year and pay for them from the 
district tax. Whereas the books cost the students nearly $2,000 
they cost the trustees in the neighborhood of $1,000. The books 
are loaned to the students as library books and are charged to them. 
When returned in fairly good condition the charge tag will be 
destroyed. The pupils like the idea. The parents are glad to be 
relieved of the burden and the tax is less than one cent. 



14 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

"I think the law should be so amended as to force the district to 
furnish the books. The books to be purchased, however, should be 
on the approved list of the State Board of Education." 

The following is the Clovis plan, as described by Mr. P. H. Benson, 
the district superintendent: 

"The Clovis Union High School buys all the books used in the 
school, puts them in the school library, and loans them to the stu- 
dents as they need them. A few of the interesting points in this 
regard follow : 

"1. The cost to the pupil: The pupil pays nothing for books, 
therefore no hardship is placed on poor pupils or parents. I 
believe books would cost pupils about $5 per year at least. For 
150 pupils this is a total of $750 per year if all are new, for com- 
munity. 

"2. Cost to community less: Last year when we had a large 
increase of 33 per cent and many new books, they cost us only 
about $300 for all. This, if it were divided, would be $1.50 per 
pupil, and if this book is used by four pupils, then the individual 
cost would be 62 cents per pupil. This does not include books on 
hand before, but each dollar spent will work out this way. Last 
year I bought English texts at $1.35. Already two classes have 
used this book and it is in fine shape. Probably more than two 
more will use the identical books. Therefore, if four pupils use 
one book the cost to each would be only 34 cents per pupil as against 
$1.35 for a new book. You see the saving. Moreover, the commu- 
nity at large pays for the books and thus the man who is able to 
pay foots the bill instead of the poorer man. 

"3. Convenience: The convenience of having the books at any 
minute one needs them for study, reference or reading, and of 
having every pupil equipped with a book on time is worth consid- 
erable. 

"There are only two valid objections in my mind at this time. 
First, the liability of spreading disease. Answer, fumigate books. 
Second, carelessness with books. I do not know whether they would 
take any better care of their own books or not, since father, not 
they, pays for them." 

The supervising principal of Conley schools writes: 

"Replying to your favor of the twentieth instant in regard to 
Conley High School having furnished free textbooks to its stu- 
dents, will say that this was begun some four years ago, when the 
school was small and there were no dealers who made a specialty 
of handling such books here. 

"The plan worked so well for us that we have continued it to 
the present time. While we have no separate account of the 
exact cost of these textbooks, as we were paying for library and 
supplementary books at the same time we were furnishing texts, 
this fact is true: We dealt directly with the wholesale houses, 
thus getting dealers' rates; in addition to this, we have received 



REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 15 

liberal discounts for meeting our bills within thirty days, of 
which we have always taken advantage, thus bringing the cost to 
the lowest possible figure. 

"The books have received excellent care and we have had very 
few losses, all of which means a great saving to the community. 
Moreover, going into open market, we have bought the very best 
texts the market afforded in each subject, thus doing away with 
the necessity for a multitude of supplementary books. 

"Whether the state or the district furnishes the books, we 
favor the plan of free textbooks; but we believe these should be 
bought on contract from the publishers, since whenever a better 
textbook in any given subject is put upon the market, these 
could be contracted for when the old contract expires." 

Committee Recommendations. 

After an investigation of all the evidence before it, including the 
facts herein set out, and especially in view of the lack of any prescribed 
uniformity of textbooks, your committee feels that it is not expedient at 
this time that the state should furnish textbooks free to pupils of high 
schools. 

It is the opinion of your committee that, after the substantial 
uniformity recommended herein shall have been accomplished, it may 
be feasible for the state to furnish textbooks free to the pupils of sec- 
ondary schools. It is possible also that, when the time necessary for 
the preliminary steps has elapsed, the prices of ink, paper, etc., will 
have sunk once more to a normal plane. By that time more data, the 
product of experience in various districts, will be available to guide 
the authorities in the final determination of the question. In the mean- 
time the system now in vogue in some school districts, under permission 
of law, of furnishing textbooks by the district, should be encouraged, 
and the legislature should enact whatever laws may prove to be necessary 
to enable districts more readily and conveniently to take such action. in 
their discretion. On the petition of, say fifty heads of families in a 
district, filed ninety days before election, the proposition for free text- 
books should be submitted to the voters of the district at the next suc- 
ceeding election. 

It will be seen from the data heretofore set out in this division that, 
in a number of states, books are so purchased and furnished by districts. 
In all of these states the law has thrown protective provisions around 
the whole system so that both quality and the lowest possible price are 
secured. A good example of such statutory provisions is the law enacted 
by the legislature of North Dakota in 1915. This statute is reprinted in 
the, appendix as Exhibit "I." 

In this connection the committee discussed various methods of pur- 
chasing textbooks. The members are agreed that probably the most 



16 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

satisfactory method would be a system by which the present State Pur- 
chasing Agent would purchase in quantities the books, called for and 
establish depots in, say, three convenient centers of population from 
which such books could be distributed through county purchasing 
agents or other appropriate officials. This plan could be put into effect 
whether the books are paid for by the pupils themselves or are furnished 
free by some public agency. It is the opinion of the committee that 
general supplies for the use of the schools, as well as the books, should 
be purchased and distributed in this manner. For this purpose the 
legislature could appropriate a revolving fund. The supplies, as well 
as the textbooks, could be sold at a price representing the cost to the 
state plus a reasonable charge for administration, and the receipts 
would reimburse the revolving fund. No sufficient reason is perceived 
why the supplies for the elementary schools also could not be bought in 
this way. 

The experience of other states which have purchased books by con- 
tract in substantially this way has been very satisfactory. The state, 
by purchasing in large quantities, could procure books at the lowest 
possible price, and the public could be protected by bonds furnished 
as in other states, in sufficient amount to insure the furnishing of books 
as good in quality as samples submitted and at the prices quoted. 
Other methods of distribution have been adopted in different states 
and are pointed out in an extract from the United States Bureau of 
Education Bulletin, 1915, No. 36. This may be found in the appendix 
as Exhibit " J. " In view, however, of all the considerations that present 
themselves, and especially in view of the fact that this state already has 
a purchasing agent whose department is in successful operation, your 
committee is of the opinion that the plan outlined above would be the 
most satisfactory to everybody concerned. It is the opinion of your 
committee, and it has been stated to your committee by persons com- 
petent to judge, that such a system would probably save to the people 
of the state from 20 to 25 per cent of the present cost of the books. A 
saving equally great would undoubtedly be effected if the school supplies 
were handled in the same way. 

IV. 

Printing by the State. 

Granting the success of the system of free textbooks in the elementary 
schools as declared in the recital of the resolution, it does not follow 
that it is economically advisable for the state to print textbooks for free 
distribution to pupils of high schools. The reasons why the same argu- 
ments do not apply to the two classes readily present themselves and 
are based chiefly on the limited number of the books that could be used 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 17 

in any one year in most of the subjects taught in the high schools. 
There are in California 266 high schools, in attendance at which in 
1915-16 there were about 76,000 pupils (of whom about 15,000 were 
enrolled in night schools) taking instruction in a great variety of 
courses. (It is to be noted in passing that the high schools show a most 
notable increase in attendance this year, the enrollment being, in round 
numbers, 95,000, of whom about 27,000 are in night schools.) In the 
elementary schools of the state there are about 400,000 children. Books 
can not be profitably printed except in large quantities. The 400,000 
students in the elementary grades in 1915-16 used 23 books, including 
five copy books, representing eight subjects besides writing. Most of 
these are of an inexpensive kind and offer themselves readily to cheap 
production. They can, moreover, be produced in large quantities. On 
the other hand, many of the books necessarily used in the high schools 
are large and, from the nature of the subject and character, expensive. 
As against the 23 books used by over 400,000 children in the elementary 
schools, there were upwards of 100 subjects taught in the high schools 
to less than 80,000 pupils. First Algebra, the onty subject taught in 
every one of the 266 high schools in the state, was studied last year by 
only 17,208 pupils. Plane Geometry was taught last year in all the 
high schools but one, to 10,724 pupils. In the brief submitted on 
behalf of various interests, and which is printed herein as Exhibit "W," 
it is said that ' ' textbooks can profitably be printed in the State Printing 
Office in editions of 10,000 and possibly less." In only five of the 
courses offered in the high schools last year were there more than 
10,000 pupils enrolled. In 75 of the courses there were less than 5,000 
enrolled. In 53 courses less than 2,000 were enrolled. There were 17 
courses in no one of which was a subject taught to more than 100 pupils 
in the whole state. 

The table printed in the appendix as Exhibit " K " shows the number 
of schools and pupils therein respectively, in which the subjects specified 
are taught. 

Again, the cost of printing high school books would be increased by 
the fact that, owing to the different character of the subjects and the 
greater difficulty of finding satisfactory texts, the royalty on high school 
books would be greater than the royalty on elementary books. While 
the royalty on elementary books in California is about 15 per cent, 
experience has demonstrated that the royalty on books in the secondary 
schools would average in the neighborhood of 30 per cent. 

The element, however, that most seriously complicates this problem 
is the matter of uniformity, or rather, lack of uniformity in the books 
in use in our high schools. In the figures given herein showing the 
number of pupils in certain named courses, we have assumed, to give 

2—27503 



18 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

for a moment the benefit of the argument to those advocating printing 
of these books by the state, that all the pupils in a specified course use 
the same book. This is far from being the case. By reference to the 
table printed below it will be seen that, in the 266 high schools of the 
state, the 17,208 pupils taking First Year Algebra use 12 different 
texts ; that in the 198 schools in which Advanced Algebra is taught, the 
2,738 pupils use 12 different texts; that in the 265 schools in which 
Plane Geometry is taught, 13 different texts are distributed among the 
10,721 pupils studying the subject; that in the 245 schools where 
Ancient History is taught, 10 different texts are divided up among 
8,886 pupils; that in the 256 schools teaching Civics, 5,250 pupils use 
13 different texts; that in the 145 schools teaching German Grammar, 
21 texts are distributed among 3,478 students; that in the 34 schools 
in which English Grammar is taught, 15 different textbooks are used 
by 4,111 pupils. And yet, even those who advocate state printing of 
textbooks admit that, unless the edition is at least 10,000, the printing 
would be done at a cost that would be prohibitive. 

The table, referred to in the above paragraph, shows the number of 
different texts that are used in each of the more common subjects, and 
the total number of pupils studying that subject, and appears on 
page 30 in the next division of this report. 

It is perfectly clear, therefore, that the printing of high school text- 
books by the state is absolutely out of the question so long as the present 
methods of adoption exist. To make state printing at all practicable it 
would be necessary to prescribe that, in almost every subject taught in 
the high schools of the state, only one textbook could be used. Even 
though one textbook should be adopted for a four-year period, the sub- 
jects that would be open for state printing would be comparatively few, 
for it must be remembered that in many instances one book could be 
used by two or three students in successive years. Take, for example, 
the subject of Solid Geometry. This subject, it appears from the table 
above referred to, is studied by 1,545 pupils scattered over the state in 
189 high schools. In four years, if there were no increase, this subject 
would be studied by 6,180 pupils. Allowing for a natural increase, say 
that 6,500 pupils would take Solid Geometry in a four-year period. 
Then, if not a single textbook in this subject were used by more than one 
pupil, that is to say, if every pupil had a perfectly new book, only 
6,500 books would need to be printed in this subject in the whole 
period of four years. Under any circumstances, to make state printing 
profitable, one book must be used in several successive years. Applying 
the same methods of computation to the various subjects designated in 
the table above referred to, it will be seen that, even with absolute uni- 
formity of textbooks, the subjects in which books could be profitably 
printed by the state are very few. 



REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 19 

V. ' 

State Uniformity of Textbooks. 

This brings us naturally to a consideration of the advisability of 
adopting a uniform standard for the textbooks used in the high schools 
of the state. Should it be provided that the same book must be used 
in every school in which a course is given in the subject of which that 
book treats? Should this uniform standard be prescribed in every 
subject taught in the high schools, or should a greater latitude be 
allowed in some subjects? 

The proposal for uniformity is the one that is fought most earnestly 
by the teachers of the state. The greater part of the briefs submitted 
on behalf of the high school teachers and teachers' associations is made 
up of arguments directed against the proposal for uniformity. And 
generally speaking, the adoption of a uniform text is most objectionable 
in those courses taken by a comparatively small number of pupils. 

The provisions of the present law relating to the adoption and print- 
ing of books for use in the elementary schools are found in section 1519 
of the Political Code. Recent amendments to our school laws, it may be 
said, have for the first time made the high schools really a part of the 
educational system of the state. The provisions governing the use and 
adoption of textbooks in the high schools are found in section 1750 of 
the Political Code. That section provides, among other things, that 
"the high school board of each district which has not already done so, 
shall adopt textbooks for use in such high school district, from a list 
prescribed by the state board of education, and the clerk or secretary 
of said board shall, annually, during the month of October, certify 
to the state board of education a list of all textbooks so adopted by 
said board during the previous year. The order of adoption shall be 
entered on the minutes of the board, and no textbook so adopted shall 
be changed for the term of four years after adoption; provided, that 
a high school board may continue the use of a textbook after the expira- 
tion of such term of four years until such time as it sees fit to change 
such textbook, or until such time as said textbook shall be stricken from 
the list of textbooks prescribed by the state board of education. This 
section shall not be construed to forbid the adoption of an additional 
textbook in any subject when the textbook in such subject has been 
completed." 

It is clear that the powers conferred upon the State Board of Educa- 
tion in this respect have been ample enough to make it possible for that 
Board, by restrictive selection to remove much of the objection that 
can be justly made at this time to the adoption of textbooks used in 
the high schools. Tour committee is of the opinion that the pupils 



20 REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

of the state and their parents are saddled unnecessarily with a heavy 
burden of expense which even, in some cases, denies to children the 
chance to obtain the full benefits which the high schools are intended 
to bestow, by the failure of the properly constituted authorities to 
assume the responsibility of exercising the powers conferred upon them 
relating to the selection of books. 

It should be remarked here that the table above referred to and other 
tables of similar nature printed herein have been made up from the 
lists certified to the State Board of Education in October, 1915. For 
many years the liberty of selection of high school textbooks was virtu- 
ally unrestricted. The present State Board of Education, however, 
has been gradually restricting the list from which selections may be 
made and, since the members took office, has reduced the list of approved 
books from 1,196 to about 369. In April last your committee waited 
upon the State Board of Education in open meeting, explained the pur- 
poses of this investigation and requested from the state board a state- 
ment of its attitude on the subjects interesting the committee. The 
request was repeated from time to time and, during the progress of its 
last meeting, the committee received from the Superintendent of Public 
Instruction a copy of resolutions adopted by the State Board of Educa- 
tion at its December meeting, in the words following, to wit : 

"First — The State Board of Education is of the opinion that it 
would be inadvisable to prescribe a series of textbooks for uniform 
use in the high schools of California. The high school situation is 
changing so rapidly that rigid standardization of textbooks and 
courses of study may seriously hamper the development of high 
school education in the state. 

"Second — It is the opinion of this board that it would be unwise 
at this time to require the board to limit the number of textbooks 
from which local high school boards must make adoptions to two 
or three books in each subject. If the list is so limited the board 
would be compelled to make a very careful investigation of the 
merits of each textbook. In fact, the investigation would have to 
be almost as carefully made as the investigation now made by the 
board in adopting textbooks for elementary schools. This investi- 
gation would require practically all of the time of an additional 
commissioner, the services of many expert readers in the various 
subjects, and extra assistants to handle the reports and correspond- 
ence, and would not benefit financially or educationally, but would 
reduce to rigid limits the textbook lists regardless of their applica- 
bility to local needs or conditions. The cost of making such inves- 
tigations would amount to possibly $25,000 each year and would 
not, in our judgment, result in a corresponding gain to the high 
schools of California. If the board were allowed latitude in the 
matter to the extent of five textbooks in each year course in a 
subject offered in the high school, the investigation need not go 
so much into detail nor be so exhaustive. That the state board 
would carefully administer the law in the interest of the pupils 



KEPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 21 

and parents is indicated by the policy it has adopted in reducing 
materially the list of textbooks prescribed for the high schools of 
the state. 

' ' We earnestly recommend that sufficient latitude in the selection 
of textbooks be allowed in any law that may be suggested to the 
Legislature." 

The above resolution suggests its own commentary, and the limited 
space of this report will not be taken up in dwelling upon it. It is 
obvious that the members of the State Board of Education must have 
adopted this resolution so hurriedly that its outstanding inferences 
escaped their attention. 

In the first paragraph of the resolution as set out above and in the 
first sentence of the second paragraph thereof, the State Board of 
Education expresses its opinion that it should not be required "to limit 
the number of textbooks * * * to two or three books in each subject." 
The information contained in Exhibit "M" hereof and in the documents 
from which this information was collected and which have been for 
some time on file in the office of the State Board of Education, must 
have escaped the attention of the Board. Careful consideration of this 
information offers food for serious .reflection and from it no conclusion 
can be drawn except the one directly opposed to that stated in the above 
resolution. The exhibit shows as clearly as could possibly be shiown by a 
mathematical demonstration that the authorities of the 266 high schools 
in this state voluntarily, independently and without concerted action 
and, in most instances, by an overwhelming majority, have expressed 
themselves as being in favor of the adoption of one or two or, at most, 
three textbooks in the principal subjects taught in the high schools. 
The committee feels that the local boards and principals, for educa- 
tional reasons, and acting without concert, have themselves demon- 
strated their preference for what is virtually a very complete system 
of uniformity. For confirmation of this, let us refer to a few of 
the figures of Exhibit "M." Of the 17,208 pupils studying algebra 
in the high schools, 10,543 use one book, 2,836 use another book, and 
2,192 use a' third book. Of the 10,575 pupils studying geometry, 
6,655 use one book and 1,039 use another book. Of the 8,507 studying 
American history, 5,928 have adopted one book. Of the 8,886 pupils 
studying ancient history, 4,276 use one book, 1,507 a second book 
and 1,466 a third book. Of the 2,254 studying English history, 1,995 
use one book. Of the 5,464 studying English literature, one book 
has been adopted for 3,962. Of the 15,034 studying English poetry, 
the adoption of one book for 14,505 expresses an almost unanimous 
consensus of opinion. And so the figures run right down the list. 
What more convincing argument for the feasibility and desirability of 



22 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

some system approaching uniformity could be made than is thus offered 
by the action of the local high school authorities themselves? If 
further arguments and considerations were entirely lacking, these 
figures alone would compel the committee to adopt the conclusion which 
is presented herein. 

The state board further says that, if the list is limited, ''the board 
would be compelled to make a very careful investigation of the merits 
of each textbook; in fact, the investigation would have to be almost as 
carefully made as the investigation now made by the board in adopting 
textbooks for elementary schools." Does the board wish it to be under- 
stood that the books now in the approved list have been selected by it 
without "a very careful investigation?" If so, this is astonishing and 
unexpected information. This committee is unable to perceive why the 
importance of the studies in the high schools does not demand as careful 
an investigation of the books used in these schools as is made in the 
adoption of textbooks for elementary schools. 

A clear, general statement of the cause and effect of legislation pro- 
viding for state uniformity is found in the United States Department 
of Education Bulletin heretofore quoted. 

"Laws for state uniformity have been enacted for many reasons. 
Probably the reason which has carried the greatest weight in caus- 
ing the passage of legislation has been the question of cost. State 
adoption of uniform books has been taken as a means of regulating 
prices to prevent sales at exorbitant prices or at prices greater than 
the same books are sold in other places. In this the plan on the 
whole has been successful. State adoptions are made under regu- 
lations requiring contract prices with deposits of bonds to be 
forfeited in case of any violations of the terms of the contracts. It 
is undoubtedly true that lower prices prevailed after state uni- 
formity had been established and adoptions made. Textbook 
publishers could afford to make lower prices when all the schools 
in the state were required to use their books, as the cost of selling 
was then made comparatively small. The high prices formerly 
paid were often the work of the local dealers rather than of the 
publishers. The legislation providing state adoptions has in all 
cases set the price to be paid by the users and has therefore pre- 
vented local dealers from overcharging." 

The state of Kansas has recently given this whole question a very 
thorough examination and has provided that the State Schoolbook 
Commission shall, when practicable, print, publish, or provide for 
the publication of a complete series of school textbooks named in the 
statute for use in the public schools, including the high schools. The 
full text of the relevant provisions of this statute is given in the 
appendix as Exhibit "L." 

The Kansas Schoolbook Commission, says W. D. Ross, State Super- 
intendent of Public Instruction, "has just completed the adoption or 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



23 



approval of a complete list of high school texts for the five-year period 
beginning May 1, 1915. The prices at which these books are to be 
furnished to dealers by the various publishers are uniformly 75 per 
cent of the publishers' list price f.o.b. Chicago, with the privilege on 
the part of the state of immediate publication of the Geometry from 
plates furnished by its publisher at a royalty of 28 per cent on the list 
price, and a similar privilege as to the Composition and Rhetoric, 
Physics, and Latin Prose Composition at the end of three years." (See 
U. S. Bureau of Education Bulletin, 1915, No. 36.) 

The enrollment in the high schools of Kansas in the year 1914 was 
42,831. Mr. Ross has kindly furnished us Math a list of the books 
adopted by the Schoolbook Commission and the contract price arranged 
for, which is illuminating and which is here reproduced. 



UNIFORM TEXT AND PRICE, HIGH SCHOOLS OF KANSAS. 



Name of book 



Contract 

price, per 

book 



Elements of Composition 

English Literature 

American Literature 

Story of Ancient Nations 

Outlines of European History 

New Medieval and Modern History 

Outlines of European History, Part 2. 

American History 

History of England 

Government and Politics 

Shorter French Course 

Elementarbuch der Deutscher Sprache. 

Latin Lessons 

Csesar's Gallic War 

Cicero 

Virgil's iEneid 

Elementary Algebra 

Plane and Solid Geometry 

Practical Physics 

Elementary Chemistry 



Canby & Opdycke 

Halleck 

Halleck 

Westerman 

Robinson & Breasted 



Robinson & Beard.. 
James & Sanford... 

Larned 

Gitteau 

Fraser & Squair 

Spankvofd 

Smith 

Walker 

D'Ooge 

Harper & Miller 

March 

Ford & Ammerman. 

Black & Davis __ 

Smith 



Giving his opinion on uniformity of high school textbooks, Mr. Ross 
says : ' ' Secures greater cooperation in regard to course of study. A 
great help to pupils changing districts. Reduces cost to pupils." 

The experience of Indiana is also very instructive. In that state, 
we are informed by Charles A. G-reathouse, Superintendent of Public 
Instruction, there is uniformity in the following branches: Algebra; 
Geometry ; Commercial Arithmetic ; History — United States, Ancient, 
Medieval and Modern ; Civil Government ; Physical Geography ; Com- 
mercial Geography; History of English Literature; History of Ameri- 
can Literature ; English Composition and Rhetoric ; Latin — Beginning 
Latin, Latin Grammar, Prose Composition, Ca?sar, Cicero, Virgil ; 



24 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



German Conversational Method Grammar and Grammatical Method 
Grammar; four elective textbooks in each of the following subjects: 
Botany ; Zoology ; Physics ; Chemistry. The law prescribing uniformity 
for high schools in Indiana, we are informed by the State Superin- 
tendent, was passed in 1913 as a result of the favorable experience of 
the uniform textbook law for furnishing books to pupils in the elemen- 
tary schools. 

The following table shows the adopted textbooks for Indiana high 
schools, together with the contract price and the exchange price : 



UNIFORM TEXT AND PRICE, HIGH SCHOOLS OF INDIANA. 



New High School Algebra (Wells & Hart) 

Plane and Solid Geometry (Wentworth & Smith) 

Ancient History (Webster) 

New Medieval and Modern History (Harding) 

American History (James & Sanford) 

Government in the United States (Garner) 

Composition and Rhetoric (Thomas, Howe & O'Hair) 

First View of English Literature and First View of American 

Literature (Moody, Lovett & Boynton) 

Latin for Beginners (D'Ooge) 

Caesar, 4-book edition (Walker) 

Caesar, 7-book edition (Walker) 

Cicero, 6 orations (Johnston & Kingery) 

Cicero, 10 orations (Johnston & Kingery) 

Virgil (Knapp) 

Latin Grammar (Bennett) 

New Latin Composition, Complete (Bennett) 

Essentials in German (Voss) 

Beginners' German (Walter & Krause) 

High School Geography Complete (Dryer) 

Commercial Geography (Adama) 

Modern Commercial Arithmetic 

Practical Botany (Bergen & Caldwell) 

Text Book of Botany (Coulter) 

Plant Life and Plant Uses (Coulter) 

Practical Course in Botany (Andrews) 

Practical Course in Botany with Flora (Andrews) 

General Zoology (Linville & Kelly) 

Elements of Zoology (Davenport) 

Descriptive and Practical Zoology (Coltnn) 

Animal Studies (Jordan-Kellogg & Heath) 

High School Course in Physics (Gorton) 

Physics (Black & Davis) 

Elements of Physics (Hoadley) 

A First Course in Physics, Revised (Milliken & Gale) 

I aductive Chemist ry I Bradbury) 

First Principles of Chemistry (Brownlee) 

An Elementary Study of Chemistry (McPherson & Henderson) 
Chemistry (Hcssler & Smith) 



Contract 
price 



Exchange 
price 



1.08 


$0.72 


1.17 


.78 


1.35 


.90 


1.35 


.90 


1.25 


.70 


.90 


.60 


.90 


.45 


.90 


.60 


.90 


.60 


.90 


.45 


1.13 


.75 


.90 


.45 


1.13 


.75 


1.26 


.84 


.72 


.40 


.90 


.60 


.80 


.54 


.90 


.60 


1.17 


.78 


1.07 


.53 


.75 


.42 


1.22 


.78 


1.03 


.51 


1.08 


.72 


1.12 


.75 


1.35 


.90 


1.41 


.90 


.97 


.66 


1.35 


.90 


1.03 


.51 


1.03 


.51 


1.10 


.75 


1.08 


.72 


1.18 


.75 


1.03 


.51 


1.13 


.75 



1.18 
1.13 



.75 



The Department of Education of Porto Rico informs us that text- 
books are adopted by the Commissioner of Education and that the 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



25 



following books, purchased at the prices named, are used in the sub- 
jects set out: 

UNIFORM TEXT AND PRICE, HIGH SCHOOLS OF PORTO RICO. 



Name of book 



Composition and Rhetoric 

Two Tear Course in English Composition 

American History 

English History 

General History 

Civics (Louisiana Edition) 

French Grammar 

Beginners' Latin _ 

Csesar 

Cicero 

Virgil 

Elementary Algebra 

Plane and Solid Geometry 

First Course in Physics 

First Principles of Chemistry . 



Contract 

price, per 

book 



Lockwood & Emerson 

Hanson 

McLaughlin 

Montgomery 

Myers 

Boynton 

Fraser & Squair 

Smiley & Storke 

Harper-Tolman 

Harper-Gallup 

Harper-Miller 

Hawkes-Luby-Touton. 

Wentworth 

Milliken & Gale 

Brownley and others. 



.674 

1.23 

.93 

1.121 

.75 

.95 

.83 

1.04 

1.12 

1.04 

.80 

.62 

.93| 

1.00 



The Department of Education of the Province of Ontario has 
furnished us with a copy of the textbook regulations, from which we 
learn that the following textbooks, sold at the prices named, have been 
authorized : 



UNIFORM TEXT AND PRICE, HIGH SCHOOLS OF ONTARIO. 

Schedule "C." 



High School Reader 

English Grammar (High School) 

English Composition (High School) 

Physical Geography (High School) 

Ancient History (High School) 

History of England (High School) 

History of Canada (High School) 

Arithmetic (High School) 

Algebra (High School) 

Geometry (High School) 

Latin Book 

First Greek Book 

French Grammar (High School) 

French Reader (High School) 

German Grammar (High School) 

German Reader (High School) 

Physics (High School) 

Laboratory Manual in Physics (High School)... 

Chemistry (High School) 

Laboratory Manual in Chemistry (High School) 

Bookkeeping — First Course 

Bookkeeping— Second Course 



].40 
.45 
.18 
.60 
.75 
.65 
.19 
.40 
.42 
.40 
.60 
L.25 
.60 
.11 
.70 
.13 
.90 
.35 
.45 
.25 
.30 
LOO 



26 REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

Attention is called in this connection to the following regulation 
prescribed by the Ontario Department of Education: 

"The publishers shall sell direct, in any quantity, to any purchaser 
for use in Ontario, the books listed in Schedules * * C and * below, 
at 20 per cent less than the maximum prices named in the aforesaid 
schedules." 

We have received expressions from the Superintendents of Instruc- 
tion of some of the states, which we here reproduce. 

In Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, 
Porto Rico, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia, the conclusion 
is in favor of uniformity. The State Superintendent in Alabama says 
that it would promote "economy, a uniformly high standard and an 
easier transference of pupils." The Superintendent in Florida says: 
"It is too important a matter to be left to the idiosyncrasies of indi- 
vidual high school principals." The Kansas official says that the 
adoption of uniform books "secures greater cooperation in regard to 
the course of study. A great help to pupils changing districts. Reduces 
cost to pupils." The South Carolina official says: "Cheaper to patrons 
and pupils. Beneficial to class-room instructors and school organiza- 
tions. Prevents exploitation by commercial educators. Helps to estab- 
lish and maintain desirable standards." The Texas official says: "It 
saves money to the purchaser and makes it possible for the children of 
poor parents to procure second-hand books. Uniform adoptions insure 
a standard textbook for each child." 

On the other hand, the Illinois Superintendent seems not to favor 
uniformity, basing his opinion on the general belief that "state uni- 
formity is likely to work hardship and to interfere with successful 
results," though he says that "it is possible that an open list of 
approved books might be adopted with fairly good results." 

The Massachusetts official says that, in that state, the want of uni- 
formity often results in the selection of books that are not the best, 
"owing to the insufficiency of expert advice and of experience." He 
confesses to not having reached a decision as to which method is 
preferable. 

In Michigan, Montana, Nevada, and Texas, it is said that conditions 
in different parts of the states are so varied that uniformity is not 
desirable — just why is not pointed out. As Nevada is now a free text- 
book state, it is expected that uniformity will come. In South Dakota, 
on the other hand, the Superintendent does not favor state uniformity, 
while they have free textbooks. 

The New Hampshire official says that the disadvantage of uniformity 
is "the wild scramble of book-makers for state adoptions, with all the 
trimmings that go with such contests." 



REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 27 

In New Jersey, it is said that state uniformity "reduces each district 
to a dead level" and that "persons who teach should, have some chance 
to express a preference for a particular text. Destroys local initiative." 
We learn that, in New York, "opinions differ." 

From an examination of the statutes of the states, from various 
reports and from correspondence, it appears that there is state uni- 
formity of high school textbooks — 

(a) In all the subjects taught in Kansas, Oklahoma, Panama Canal 
Zone, Porto Rico, Utah (with few exceptions in industrial subjects), 
and Tennessee. 

(&) In all the subjects in the regular course of study in the high 
schools in Alabama. 

(c) In Algebra, Geometry, History and Civics in Delaware, Indiana, 
Oregon, Texas and West Virginia. 

(d) In Botany in Delaware, Oregon and West Virginia. 

(e) In German in Delaware, Indiana and Oregon. 

(/) In Latin in Delaware, Indiana, Oregon and West Virginia. 

(g) In Physics in Delaware, Oregon, Texas and West Virginia. 

(h) In Zoology and Rhetoric in Delaware and West Virginia. 

(i) In English in Oregon and Texas. 

(j) In Bookkeeping, Arithmetic and Chemistry in Delaware and 
Oregon. 

(k) In Biology in Oregon and West Virginia. 

(I) In Geography in Delaware, Indiana, Oregon (Physical) and 
West Virginia (Physical) . 

In addition, there is uniformity in the subjects named below accord- 
ing to states : 

Indiana — -Commercial Arithmetic, History of English Literature, 
History of American Literature, English Composition and Rhetoric, 
German Grammar; four elective textbooks each in Botany, Zoology, 
Physics and Chemistry. 

Delaware — French, English Grammar, Physics, Drawing, English. 

Oregon — Agriculture and Physiology. 

West Virginia — Art, Home Economics, English Literature and 
American Literature. 

In West Virginia, however, the uniform law does not apply to 
municipalities having a population over 3,500. 

The body vested with authority to adopt uniform books is a state 
body in — 

Alabama (State High School Commission). 
Delaware (State Board of Education). 

Florida (State Book Commission on recommendation of sub- 
committee of nine educators). 
Hawaii (Department of Public Instruction). 



28 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



Indiana (State Board meeting as School Book Commissioners). 

Kansas (State Textbook Commission). 

Louisiana (State Board of Education). 

Nebraska (State Board of Education). 

Nevada (State Textbook Commission). 

North Carolina (Textbook Commission). 

Oklahoma (State Board of Education). 

Oregon (Textbook Commission). 

Porto Rico (Commissioner of Education). 

South Dakota (Textbook Commission). 

Tennessee (Textbook Commission). 

Texas (Board appointed by Governor). 

Utah (Textbook Commission). 

West Virginia (Textbook Commission). 

The course pursued in adopting books by the constituted authority 
in the various states may be judged from the following statement of 
the number of books adopted in the states named. 



Alabama — 

English Grammar 1 

Composition and Rhetoric 1 

History of American Literature 1 

Algebra 1 

Geometry 1 

History Outlines 1 

Short History of England 1 

American History 1 

Civics '. 1 

Chemistry 1 



Sanford & Brown.. 

Clippinger . 

Halleck 

Marsch 

Wells 

Renouf 

Coman & Kendall. 
James & Sanford-- 
James & Sanford-. 
Newell 



$0.63 

.85 

1.13 

.55 
1.15 
1.20 

.90 
1.33 

.84 
1.12 



It is to be noted that there are optional courses for larger schools. 

/>' iatoare — 

In the subjects of Algebra, Arithmetic, Bookkeeping, Botany, Chem- 
istry, Civics, French, Geometry, German, Geography, Physiology, His- 
tory, Latin, Literature, Physics, Rhetoric, Zoology, Drawing and 
Music — 18 in all — 70 texts have been adopted altogether, including 
those for the different branches of the various subjects, as for example, 
English and American History, but exclusive of such texts as Cicero's 
( ) rat ions. 



West Virginia — 

History, Ancient 

History, Mediaeval and Modern. 

History. English 

History, American 

Civics 

Physics 

Zoology 

Biology 

Algebra 

Geomet ry 



Morey's outlines . 


$1.33 


Myers ___ 


1.41 


Walker's Essentials 


1.33 


Ashley . -. _ 


1.26 


I'ornian .. . . 


.83 


Mann \ Twiss 


1.08 


Davenport's Elements ._. 


1.12 


Hunter's Essentials - 


1.11 


Young & Jackson . __ 


1.00 


Wells Plane and Solid . 


1.25 


Plane - 


.75 


Solid 


.75 



REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 29 



Tennessee — 
Forty-seven books adopted for the entire course. 



Algebra 1 

Geometry, Plane 1 

Geometry, Solid " 1 

Geometry, Combined 1 

Physics 1 

Chemistry 1 

History, Ancient 1 

History, Mediaeval and Modern 1 

History, General 1 

History, English 1 

History, American 1 



Stone & Miller $0.55 

Wentworth .71 

Wentworth .71 

Wentworth 1.18 

Headley 1.13 

Hessller & Smith 1.25 

Botsford 1.35 

Myers 1.41. 

Myers 1.41 

Niver .81 

James & Sanford 1.31 



Attention is called to the report relative to the adoption of text- 
books in Tennessee, from which the following is quoted: 

"The commission adopted the policy of having the publishers present 
their books through the expert agents regularly representing them, 
rather than through lawyers and lobbyists employed on account of 
some supposed influence with members of the commission. We 
earnestly endeavored to effect an adoption free from improper influence 
and based alone upon the merits and prices of the books. 

"There is no question but that we have saved the people of the state 
more than $100,000 on the elementary books alone, as compared with 
the last adoption, and a very considerable sum on the high school 
books. 

' ' This reduction in the cost of the books has not been accomplished at 
the expense of merit in the' books. "We feel assured that the public 
will soon become convinced that we have secured better as well as 
cheaper books. 

"Even in the instances where books were readopted, the commission, 
as a rule, succeeded in getting a lower price. For example, the History 
of Tennessee was cut from 75^' to 60fS." 

In the New England states the town or the city is the unit, and 
pretty generally throughout the country local boards adopt books. 

The county is the unit in Maryland, Missouri (where there is no 
town of 1,000 population), and Washington. 

The condition existing in California in 1915-16 is shown in the next 
table, which gives a list of the principal subjects taught in our high 
schools, the number of schools in which each subject is taught, the 
number of pupils studying each subject and the number of textbooks 
in each subject that were in actual use last year in this state. 



30 



REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



TABLE SHOWING NUMBER OF SCHOOLS, NUMBER OF PUPILS 
AND NUMBER OF TEXTS IN EACH SUBJECT, HIGH SCHOOLS 
OF CALIFORNIA, 1915-1916. 



Number 
of high 
schools 



Number 
of pupils 



Number 
of texts 



Algebra 

Algebra, Advanced 

Higher Arithmetic 

Mechanics 

Geometry, Plane 

Geometry, Solid 

Trigonometry 

History, Ancient 

History, Mediaeval and Modern 

History, English 

History, American 

History, General 

History, Industrial 

Civics 

Economics 

Music 

Physics 

Chemistry 

Physical Geography 

Biology 

Botany 

Zoology 

Physiology 

Geology 

Domestic Science 

Agriculture 

Manual Training 

Science, General 

Mechanical Drawing 

History of Art 

Greek Composition 

Greek Iliad 

Greek Anabasis 

Greek Beginner's 

Greek Grammar 

Latin, First Book 

Latin Grammar 

Latin Caesar 

Latin, Beginner's Composition 

Latin, Cicero 

Latin, Virgil 

German Grammar 

German Composition 

French Composition 

French, Beginner's 

French, Grammar 

Spanish, Grammar 

Spanish Composition 

English Grammar 

English Literature 

American Literature 



266 

198 

5 

9 

265 

189 

170 

245 

242 

135 

256 

8 

19 

256 

68 

103 

225 

235 

87 

51 

68 

13 

34 

7 

115 

70 

36 

117 

38 

9 

5 

5 

7 

9 

8 

250 

164 

242 

162 

140 

127 

145 

91 

33 

60 

65 

144 

89 

34 

187 



17,208 
2,738 

104 

186 
10,724 
1,545 
1,032 
8,886 
6,3.39 
2,382 
8,432 

307 

420 
5,250 
1,579 
4,915 
4,178 
6,814 
2,022 
1,390 
1,712 

385 
1,232 

126 
2,952 
1,289 
1,023 
3,501 

565 

480 

62 

22 

52 

63 

76 

8,493 

4,776 

5,016 

3,647 

1,081 

713 
3,478 
1,282 

891 
1,516 
2,223 
6,187 
2,626 
4,111 
5,465 
1,530 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 31 

In the appendix is printed as Exhibit "M" a table which has been 
prepared at the request of this committee from authentic data in the 
office of Mr. Will C. Wood, Commissioner of Secondary Schools, and 
which shows the number of pupils using each of the several textbooks 
in a number of the most common subjects. 

Nothing could show more clearly than do the above tables the unfor- 
tunate results of the methods of selection and adoption of high school 
textbooks which, in the past, have prevailed in California. Mr. Hyatt, 
Superintendent of Public Instruction, in his statement before your 
committee, declared that it would be advisable and on the whole very 
satisfactory to reduce the list of textbooks which high schools might 
use, three allowable books in each subject being ample in his opinion. 
Your committee is agreed, then, after a careful consideration of all the 
facts that have been gathered by it and of all the arguments that have 
been presented to it, that the best interest of the state requires that the 
axe be laid to the roots of the tree, and that at the earliest possible 
moment, in order to leave no room for misconception or confusion, the 
proper authority should cut out from the list of permissible high 
school texts everything that can be regarded as superfluous. Too tight 
a rein, perhaps, ought not to be drawn on certain subjects which are 
in the course of constant development, as, for example, certain branches 
of science. Moreover, in subjects like music and drawing, it is not so 
important that the list should be drawn down to the narrowest limit. 
Even as to these subjects, however, it must be remembered that it is 
the work of beginners that is chiefly concerned. While accuracy of 
information is always to be desired, yet the earlier work in these sub- 
jects does not demand the latitude that is required when the student 
reaches the wide field of university and postgraduate study. We believe, 
however, that much may be done to remedy present conditions by the 
efficient exercise by the State Board of Education of the wide powers 
in this regard conferred upon it by recent statutes, especially, if at 
the same time action be taken in conformity with another recommen- 
dation herein. 

The conclusions of the Ontario Textbook Commission of 1907, hereto- 
fore referred to, are interesting and valuable in this connection and so 
far as they are relevant, are reprinted in the appendix as Exhibit "N." 

Your committee is agreed that no reason is conceivable why the 
permissible list of books used in the high schools in this state should 
not be limited to a number not exceeding the number appearing on the 
next page after the subject named. 



32 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



HIGH SCHOOL SUBJECTS AND RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM 
NUMBER OF TEXTS, CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOLS. 



Number of texts from which 
adoption may be made 



Algebra I 

Algebra, Advanced 
Geometry, Plane _. 
Geometry, Solid ... 

Trigonometry 

Higher Arithmetic 



History 3 for each year of the 

course prescribed in 
American and Euro- 
pean history. 
3 
4 
4 
3 
3 
3 
3 
:: 
:; 
•3 
4 
4 
3 
3 



History, Industrial 

Civics 

Economics 

Physics 

Chemistry 

Chemistry, Agricultural 

( Ihemistry, Household 

Physical Geography 

Commercial Geography 

Biology 

Botany 

Sociology 

Physiology 

Geology 

Latin 2 for each year. 

French ] 

German \ 5 books for each of 

Spanish] these, exclusive of 

classics. 

English Grammar 3 

English Literature, History of 3 

American Literature, History of ! 3 

English and American Poetry, Collections of 4 

English and American Prose, Collections of 4 

Music Such books as State 

Board shall see fit 

to adopt. 

Such books as State 

Board shall see lit 

to adopt. 

3 

3 

4 

5 

4 

4 

5 

2 

2 

2 

2 

o 

2 
2 

2 



Agriculture 



Mechanical Drawing 

General Science 

Manual Training 

Household Arts 

Zoology 

Spelling 

Shorthand 

Typewriting 

Commercial Law 

Correspondence 

Accounting 

Bookkeeping 

Business Practice ... 

Salesmanship 

Advertising 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 33 

If any new subject shall be introduced into the curriculum, not more 
than three texts in each subject shall be permitted. As to books, how- 
ever, that have been already adopted, schools shall be allowed to carry 
out their contracts for the full term for which the adoption was made. 

The above provisions are thought to be liberal and probably a reduc- 
tion in the permissible number of books even under this list might be 
made profitably in many of the subjects named. 

Each publisher, when submitting to the State Board of Education 
a book which' he proposes for adoption, should be required to accom- 
pany it with a listing fee of $10.00. The State Board of Education 
should publish each year a list of the books approved by it for the 
following year, accompanied by a statement of the price for which the 
publishers agree to furnish each book approved. 

Your committee respectfully recommends that the legislature, by 
some appropriate action, call to the attention of the State Board of 
Education the conclusions embodied herein. 



3—27503 



EXHIBITS. 



Exhibit A. 

I Letter to Otiiei: States. 1 

State of California. 

Legislative Counsel Bureau. 

Sacramento, July 28, .1915. 

Dear Sir: A committee of the legislature of this state is gathering 
information relative to the furnishing of textbooks free to pupils in 
high schools. 

You will put us under great obligation if you will kindly fill out as 
far as you can, the inclosed questionnaire and return at your earliest 
convenience to the undersigned. 

We shall be glad to reciprocate at any time in any way within our 
power. 

Very truly yours, 



Chief of Bureau. 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



35 



Exhibit B. 

[ Question n aire. ] 

State of 

Information submitted by 



CONCERNING HIGH SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS. 

1. Is there state uniformity of high school textbooks?--. 

2. If so, in which branches'? 



3. If textbooks are not uniform throughout the state, what is the 
political unit for the adoption of textbooks? 

4. Are textbooks furnished free to students? 

5. If so, are they furnished at the expense of the state, county or 

district? 

6. By whom are textbooks adopted? 

7. If figures are available, what was the total amount expended in the 

state last year for free textbooks in high schools? ' 



8. What was the total enrollment in the high schools for the same 



year 



9. If there is state uniformity, please give data as follows : 



Name of book 



Contract price 
(per book) 



First Year English Book 

Second Tear English Book 

Third Tear English Book 

Eourth Tear English Book 

Ancient History 

Medieval and Modern History- 
American History 

English History 

Civics 

First Tear French Book 

First Tear German Book 

First Tear Latin Book 

Osesar 

Cicero 

Virgil 

Elementary Algebra 

Plane and Solid Geometry 

Physics 

Chemistry 



36 REFORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

10. Are present methods of adoption satisfactory? 

11. Any suggestions with reference to state uniformity of high school 

textbooks? (Give your opinion of advantages and disadvantages) 



REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 37 

Exhibit C. 

[Addkess of Me. Will C. Wood.] 

To the Honorable The Special Committee of Senate and Assembly, 
Appointed to Investigate Free Textbooks for High Schools. 

Gentlemen : I submit for your consideration certain facts concerning * 
the high school textbook situation in California, together with an 
analysis of these facts and a brief statement of the educational interests 
involved in the problem you have under investigation. 

Significance of the problem. 

I hope, gentlemen, that you realize the full significance of this 
investigation and the far-reaching effect of one possible conclusion 
which you may reach before you have completed your work. The 
problem you are considering is much larger than the mere problem of 
furnishing textbooks free to the pupils enrolled in the high schools of 
California. It is larger than the question of state uniformity of text- 
books; larger than the problem of state publication. This is not a 
problem of economics alone. It can not be solved by considering only 
the dollars and cents involved. Overshadowing the economic factor 
is the educational phase of the question which forces itself upon us 
at every stage. 

Burden of proof on the proponents. 

I hope, gentlemen, that my association with you in the last session 
of the legislature has served to convince you that I am not a mere 
theorist in educational matters. If I did not deem this question large 
in its significance and vital to the high school system which I am charged 
by law to supervise, I would not urge the facts nor make the arguments 
which I shall submit today. I realize that my judgment is not infallible. 
It may be that I have been blind to certain phases of the situation. I 
do not hesitate, however, to submit the reasons for my judgment, and 
a full statement of the facts as I see them to your candid consideration. 
If the facts can be refuted; if the arguments can be answered; if the 
proponents of state uniformity and state publication of high school 
textbooks can make a good case, I shall not stand obstinately by my 
present judgment. However, the burden of proof is on them. They 
must establish two things before your committee can recommend the 
adoption of the proposed plan. First, they must show that the adoption 
of the plan will not react to the disadvantage of the high school system ; 
second, that the plan is both economical and feasible. 



38 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

Educational question of first importance. 

I have placed the educational question first, because it is the more 
important. Tn considering educational questions, the people of Cali- 
fornia are not accustomed to regard dollars and cents as the prime 
consideration. The people of this state are ambitious in educational 
.matters to provide the best for their children, not the cheapest. The 
great question involved is "Can the people of the state of California 
adopt the plan proposed without affecting materially the efficiency 
and progressive development of the great high school system of this 
state?" 

Shall high school textbooks be free? 

The people of California are committed definitely, in both the consti- 
tution and the statutes, to the democratic policy of giving every child 
residing in the state, who has ambition coupled with capability, the 
broadest and fullest educational opportunity that the state can afford, 
and this at public expense. The state is quite as solicitous for the 
educational welfare of its humblest child as it is for that of the child 
of its wealthiest citizen. It is to realize this great purpose that it has 
established its system of public schools ranging from the kindergarten 
In the state university. 

I agree most heartily with the proponents of this plan, that education 
should be absolutely free. I agree with them that every child is the 
ward of the state, and the state can afford to supply not only tuition 
and comfortable school facilities, but also textbooks, free of cost to its 
half million school children. Recently the people of the state voted 
very wisely to furnish textbooks free to pupils of the elementary schools. 
The next step, logically, is to furnish textbooks free to the pupils of the 
high schools. The high school is a part of the public school system; 
it is within easy access for 95 per cent of the young people of California. 
It is the people's institution quite as truly as the elementary school is 
the people's institution. We may confidently look forward to the day 
when practically all the young people will be enrolled in the high 
school who ought to be there. The high school is growing by leaps and 
bounds. Statistics compiled in our office show that the enrollment in 
our high schools increased 32 per cent during the last two years, while 
that of the elementary schools increased only 10 per cent. The high 
school is becoming an institution for the children of the poor as well as 
the children of the people of means. The time has come when high 
school education should be made absolutely free. I hope, therefore, 
thai your honorable committee will recommend to the legislature a 
measure providing \'vrv textbooks for the high schools of this state. 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 39 

How shall free textbooks be furnished? 

The question arises, how shall these textbooks be furnished ? I should 
estimate that the average amount expended by each pupil for high 
school textbooks each year is approximately $6.00. We have enrolled 
in the high schools of the state approximately 76,000 young people. 
The total amount paid annually by the pupils of California for high 
school textbooks is approximately $456,000. Assuming that the state 
can furnish these books at a net saving of 30 per cent, the burden 
assumed by the state would be approximately $320,000 for the first 
year and at least $120,000 for each succeeding year, except years when 
textbooks are changed. 

I am inclined to question, gentlemen, the advisability of the state 
assuming this burden. If the school district pays for its own textbooks, 
there will be greater economy in their use. If free textbooks are pro- 
vided for high schools, I believe that the cost thereof should be borne 
by the districts rather than the state as a whole. I might mention that 
some high school districts have already adopted this plan. San Mateo 
and Clovis are now providing free textbooks for high school pupils and 
the aggregate saving is considerable. 

Shall a uniform series be adopted? 

The question of state uniformity of high school textbooks should be 
considered as distinct from the question of free textbooks. Acceptance 
of the principle of free textbooks does not carry with it acceptance of 
the principle of state uniformity. I wish to emphasize the fact that 
the problem of high school textbooks is not analogous to the problem 
of elementary school books. The elementary school is an old institution 
and its course of study and organization are standardized. The course 
of study for elementary schools in New York State differs very little 
from the course of study in our own state. A sixth grade class in 
arithmetic, whether in California or Virginia, studies fractions ; a third 
grade studies addition and subtraction. We have had three centuries 
of experience in making a course of study for the elementary schools, 
so the course is standardized and fixed to a remarkable degree. Since 
there is uniformity in grading and in courses of study in the elementary 
schools throughout the state, it is comparatively easy to adopt a uniform 
series of textbooks for the elementary schools. The adoption of such a 
series in the grades does not force a radical reorganization of elementary 
school work. 

High school book problem differs from 
elementary school book problem. 

When we consider the public high school we face a situation utterly 
different. The high school is a new institution, comparatively speaking. 



40 REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

There were only forty public high schools in the United States in 1860. 
In 1900 there were 6,000 and in 1915, there were 15,000. In 1900 there 
were only 500,000 pupils enrolled in the high schools of the United 
States. In 1915, there were 1.500,000. The growth of the high school 
since 1900 has been remarkable. Before that date, the high school was 
dominated very largely by the university; it was an institution whose 
prime purpose was the preparation of pupils for college. In the last 
fifteen years, the high school, in response to a popular demand, has 
broken the shackles which bound it to the college. The real life of the 
American high school began only a decade or so ago. The high school 
is now changing with remarkable rapidity to meet the demands of the 
people. The old courses of study are being modified; new courses, 
especially vocational courses, are being introduced. So great is the 
growth, so rapid are the changes, that it is absolutely impossible at this 
time to give an adequate definition of a high school. The high school 
of today would bulge the definition of a high school five years ago until 
it burst. I have had opportunity to visit more high schools in Cali- 
fornia than any other state official. I wish to say, gentlemen, that there 
is the widest divergence among the high schools of California. Take 
the city of Los Angeles, in which this meeting is held. If I could take 
your honorable committee to visit the high schools of this city for even 
one day, I could convince you that the high schools are so different 
that they can not be closely standardized without working a revolution 
in high school work. I can show you such excellent work in classroom 
and shop and laboratory and field — work so admirably linked up with 
life, so vital and inspiring — -that this committee would realize how 
harmful it would be to impose rigid uniformity upon the high schools of 
California. It is true that this city has a certain degree of uniformity 
in its textbooks, but this uniformity is so flexible that the growth and 
efficiency of the schools is not checked thereby. I want to say, gentle- 
men, that this vital, energizing high school work is possible only because 
we have construed the present textbook law liberally. Take the subject 
of mathematics, for example. All the high schools of the city offer the 
traditional course in algebra, plane geometry, advanced algebra, solid 
geometry and plane trigonometry. The great polytechnic and manual 
ails high schools wanted to offer a course in shop mathematics for the 
boys. I was asked if a textbook in shop mathematics could be adopted. 
I found that the entire course in mathematics was provided for; that a 
full series of textbooks in mathematics had been adopted. Could I 
permit the adoption of an additional textbook for those boys in the 
shops? I turned to the god of uniformity, and he shook his head. I 
turned to the god of common sense and he nodded. Censure me if 
you will, gentlemen, but I obeyed the god of common sense. The future 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 41 

of twenty boys outweighs a thousand times all the arguments for uni- 
formity that man can offer. Again, I was confronted with the following 
situation : A school had adopted a complete system of textbooks in book- 
keeping and accounting. A class of girls wanted to study household 
accounting. The question arose whether a system of bookkeeping 
adapted to a wholesale house should be applied to the household. Could 
a system of accounts dealing with pig-iron and steel rails in ten thousand 
dollar lots, be made to serve the purposes of young women who in later 
life would buy beefsteak in twenty-five cent cuts, or new shirtwaists at 
ninety-eight cents ? You may censure me again, gentlemen, but I held 
that the law was not made to render education impractical; that 
wherever a class was organized for a special, practical purpose, another 
textbook could be used. A few days ago the principal of a small high 
school in this county wrote me stating that the new freshman class was 
decidedly weak in English. The school had adopted a complete series of 
English texts, which met the needs of the average class, but all of these 
textbooks were too advanced for this particular class. I had to choose 
between the principle of uniformity on the one hand and the good of 
those pupils on the other. I could stand here all day, gentlemen, and 
recite instance after instance similar to those I have given. In every 
instance the choice had to be made between uniformity on the one hand 
and practical education on the other. In deciding the problem which 
your honorable committee is investigating, the choice is between uni- 
formity on the one hand and practical, vital instruction on the other. 
If we adopt a uniform series, we must adopt textbooks that will contain 
bare, dry principles that may be applied anywhere. We shall rob our 
courses of the vital elements, for the vital thing in high school work is 
the linking up of the studies with life. Since life is not uniform 
throughout this great state, the ''linking up" can not be uniform; the 
textboks should not be uniform. The people have been demanding in 
loud tones that the high school shall fit young people for life. Will the 
people take away the link that is being forged! AVill they say to the 
high school people, "Make your schools practical; fit our children for 
life," and at the same time take away the very tools that are necessary 
to accomplish this great work ? I leave that question to your honorable 
committee, and to the people of California whom you represent, confi- 
dent that you will consider the interests of the young people paramount 
to any other issue. 

Why should we have uniformity? 

Turning from the educational phase of this question, let us consider 
for a few moments the practical side. Why should we have uniformity 
of high school textbooks in California? The argument that is advanced 



42 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

most frequently is that pupils who transfer from one high school to 
another must purchase new hooks in most branches. I wish to point 
out, however, that if high school textbooks are furnished free of cost 
by the district, the argument for uniformity loses all its force. The 
textbooks abandoned by the pupil when he leaves the district will be 
available for the pupil who takes his place, and the district into which 
the pupil moves will furnish him hooks from its shelves. Under a free 
textbook system, there can he no economic loss because of transfer of 
pupils from one district to another. 

The one argument for uniformity. 

There is only one other argument for state uniformity. State uni- 
formity is necessary if we are to have state publication of high school 
textbooks. Now, I shall not depend entirely upon the educational 
argument against state publication, although that, in my judgment, is 
sufficient. I shall meet the proponents of state publication on their own 
ground. I purpose proving that state publication of high school text- 
hooks is economically impossible. 

State publication of elementary textbooks 
economical because of size of output. 

It is an accepted principle of business, gentlemen, that it does not 
pay to manufacture goods in small quantities. There is a certain mini- 
mum of output, below which the manufacturer can not go without 
economic loss. Our plan of state publication of elementary school 
textbooks has been successful simply because there are enough pupils 
using each textbook to justify the printing of large editions. Under 
the law, no edition of less than 25.0(H) copies of each elementary school 
textbook" can be printed. There is no textbook in the state series for 
elementary schools that is used by less than 40,000 pupils. This large 
and uniform demand makes the printing of elementary school books 
economical. 

Why state publication of high school books is impractical. 

When we turn to the high school we find only 76,000 pupils enrolled, 
just 10.000 less than the number enrolled in the first grade of the elemen- 
tary schools. Each high school pupil will require about five textbooks 
of all kinds during the year. The total number of textbooks used in all 
classes by all high school pupils is about 380,000. In the high school, 
however, we have election of studies. There are over 100 branches in 
which textbooks are required. By dividing the total number of text- 
books required by the number of subjects, we hud that the average 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 43 

number of pupils using a textbook is approximately 3,800. To find the 
number of textbooks required for a four-year period of adoption we 
must multiply this number by two. The average number of textbooks 
required for a given subject in the high school for the four-year period 
would be 7,600. If an edition of 25,000 books were published, the 
average time required to exhaust the edition would be more than twelve 
years. Think of the advances in chemistry and physics during the last 
twelve years ! If this system had been adopted in 1900 and an edition 
of American history had been printed, the latest event discussed in the 
textbook that would be in use now, would be the assassination of 
President McKinley. We should know nothing of Roosevelt, or Taft, 
or Woodrow Wilson ! If an edition of civics had been printed, our 
pupils would be in the dark so far as the great civic and political 
reforms since 1900 are concerned. When we speak in averages, the 
futility from the educational standpoint of state publication of all high 
school textbooks is apparent. 

The economic side. 

The amount invested in one edition of any high school textbook would 
be considerable. We may reckon the investment at 5 per cent. Assum- 
ing that the state printing office can produce a book at a cost 25 per 
cent less than the price at which the state may obtain the book from the 
publisher on competitive bid, let us determine whether state publication 
would be economical. The cost of the book during the twelve years, with 
interest added, would be as follows : 

First year $1 00 Seventh year $1 30 

Second year 1 05 Eighth year 1 35 

Third year 1 10 Ninth year 1 40 

Fourth year 1 15 Tenth year 1 45 

Fifth year 1 20 Eleventh year 1 50 

Sixth year 1 25 Twelfth year 1 55 

It will be noted that after the sixth year, the book would be carried 
at a loss, since we could obtain the book from the publisher for $1.25. 
The average cost for the twelve-year period would be $1.27^-. State 
publication under these conditions would involve actual loss to the state. 

Number of pupils using each book. 

Fortunately, we do not have to discuss this question only in averages. 
We have data compiled from the official annual reports of high school 
principals which are made under oath. I have not had opportunity to 
check the statistics carefully, so certain minor inaccuracies may appear. 
However, they are sufficiently accurate for all practical purposes. I 



44 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



submit herewith a statement showing the number of pupils taking 
each subject. 

TABLE SHOWING NUMBER OF STUDENTS USING TEXTBOOKS 
IN VARIOUS SUBJECTS. 



English- 
Grammar 

Composition— Rhetoric 

Myths 

English Literature (History).. 
American Literature (History). 

Heroic Ballads 

Oral English and Debate 

Oration and Argument 

Selections of Poetry 

Selections of Prose 

Journalism 



Latin- 
First Book 

Grammar 

Caesar 

Beginner's Composition 

Cicero 

Advanced Composition . 

Virgil 

Other texts 



Greek- 
Grammar 

Beginner's Greek 

Anabasis 

Iliad 

Composition 



French- 
Grammar 

Beginner's French 

Readers 

Composition 



German- 
Grammar 

Beginner's German 
Readers 

< '(imposition 



Spanish — 

Grammar 

Beginner's Spanish 

Readers 

Composition 



History- 
Ancient 

Medieval and Modern. 

English 

American _ 

General 

Industrial 

Civics 

History Note Books.. 

Economics 

Sociology 



31 
254 
216 
187 

69 
174 

59 
130 
214 

50 
9 



250 
164 
242 
162 
140 
116 
127 
34 



•a c 

S.tr 



4,111 
25,643 
11,649 
5,465 
1,530 
9,444 
4,639 
3,381 
15,063 
3,555 



8,493 
4,776 
5,016 
3,647 
1,081 
1,542 
713 
565 



65 


2,223 


60 


1,516 


50 


1,474 


33 


891 


145 


3,478 


145 


3,148 


159 


3,532 


91 


1,282 


144 


6,187 


128 


5,098 


135 


5,746 


89 


2,626 


245 


8,886 


242 


6,339 


135 


2,382 


256 


8,432 


8 


307 


19 


420 


256 


5,250 


89 


3,786 


63 


1,579 


4 


85 



Commercial — 

Bookkeeping 

Shorthand Text 

Speller 

Law 

Geography 

Correspondence 

Arithmetic . 

Accounting 

Banking 

Business Practice 

Penmanship 

Typewriting 

Salesmanship 

Advertising 



Music Books 



History of Art 

Mechanical Drawing 



Mathematics- 
Algebra, First Year 

Algebra, Advanced 

Geometry (Plane) 

Geometry (Solid) 

Trigonometry 

Calculus 

Higher Arithmetic 

Mechanics 



Science — 

Physics Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Chemistry Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Physical Geography Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Biology Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Zoology Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Physiology Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Geology Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Domestic Science Texts 

Botany Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Household Arts Texts 

Agricultural Texts 

Manual Training Text 

General Science 



Other Subjects- 
Elocution 

Dramatics 

Psychology 

Astronomy 

Current History 

Assaying and Cyanide. 
Mineralogy 



2 , 2 
B-I gl 



243 


8,194 


222 


6,302 


127 


4,990 


131 


1,374 


87 


799 


97 


3,665 


214 


6,303 


24 


425 


16 


292 


26 


481 


104 


3,981 


188 


6,772 


4 


85 


4 


76 



103 4,915 



266 
198 
265 
189 
170 
4 
5 



225 

203 

2.35 

205 

87 

61 

51 

17 

13 

3 

34 

7 

7 



24 

50 
70 
36 
117 



480 
565 



17,208 

2,738 

10,724 

1,545 

1,032 

10 

104 

186 



4,178 
3,312 
6,814 
5,536 
2,022 
944 

1,880 
S54 

385 

47 

1,232 

366 

126 



2,952 
1,712 
350 
1,588 
1,289 
1,023 
3,501 



271 
15 
52 
85 
22 
10 
11 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 45 

Deductions from table given above. 

I wish to point out, gentlemen, that we must have 12,500 pupils 
enrolled in order to use up one edition of a high school textbook in four 
years. On consulting the table, you will observe that there are only 
three subjects in which more than 12,500 pupils are enrolled. In more 
than half of the subjects, one edition would last twenty years or more. 
I do not wish to disturb the decorum of the occasion, but I can not resist 
the temptation to point out that one edition of Homer's Iliad would 
last just 568 years. Clearly, gentlemen, it would be impossible for the 
state of California to undertake the publication of so great a variety 
of textbooks in editions of 25,000. We are not facing a theory ; we are 
facing an inexorable law of economics. 

Can small editions be printed? 

The alternative of printing smaller editions may be suggested. Let 
us consider an edition of 10,000 copies. We shall be obliged to lease 
the plates from publishing companies. Assuming that these companies 
would be willing to lease the plates on a 20 per cent royalty basis, the 
royalty on a book listed at $1.25 would be 25 cents. The total royalty 
for one edition would be $2,500. Two weeks ago, the State Board of 
Education employed the Rand, McNally Company to make plates for 
a third reader of about 300 pages. The expense was $975. At this rate 
the plates for a high school textbook would amount to $1,500 or more. 
When the publisher has deducted the cost of making the plates from 
his royalty, he would have $1,000 left, out of which he would have to 
pay the author's royalty. It is manifest, I think, that no publisher 
would offer plates on such conditions. 

Shall we employ authors? 

We have the alternative of state authorship, of course. If the writing 
of a successful textbook were comparable to the making of a suit of 
clothes, this alternative might appeal. Thirty years ago, California 
tried that plan in compiling elementary textbooks and it failed. Good 
textbooks can not be made to order. But let us assume that we can have 
them made to order. How long would it take a university professor 
and a high school teacher, working together, to write a textbook in 
physics or ancient history? A year would not be too long. It would 
cost at least $5,000 to secure a manuscript for either book. Two 
university professors recently submitted a 10,000 word manuscript in 
California history to the State Board of Education and fixed the price 
at $2,500. The average high school textbook contains 150,000 words. 
If we could secure a manuscript for $5,000, the authorship cost on a 
10,000 book edition would be 50 cents per volume. Manifestly state 
authorship is out of the question. 



46 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

I hope, gentlemen, thai I have made my position clear. J am in 

favor of free textbooks for high schools, furnished by the district and 
selected from a list approved by the State Board of Education. If we 
fear that the publishers will charge the districts too much, let the state 
board be authorized to advertise for bids, stating' prices at which books 
will be sold to the districts. If this plan is adopted, I am satisfied we 
can save at least 30 per cent over the present cost. I can see no objection 
to a law limiting the choice of the state board to five textbooks in each 
subject. This would provide a reasonable degree of standardization and 
would avoid the pitfall of uniformity. 

In conclusion, gentlemen, I wish to leave this thought with you : Let 
us have the best high school textbooks at the lowest price for which 
they may be obtained; let the books be furnished free to the high school 
pupils of California; but let us not sacrifice our high school system nor 
check its development along popular lines. 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 47 

Exhibit D. 

STATE UNIFORMITY IN HIGH SCHOOL TEXT AND BOOKS. 

[A paper read by Mr. Noel H. Garrison at the California State Convention of High 
School Principals, Fresno, December 22, 1915, and re-read at the meeting of the 
Legislative Committee on Textbooks, at Los Angeles, March 20, 1916.] 

Mr. Chairman, and Members of the California Legislative Committee: 

Before entering- upon the discussion of the subject assigned me, I 
desire personally, and also in behalf of the state convention of high 
school principals, to thank the members of the California legislature 
who have honored us with this hearing. I would congratulate the 
school men present upon the opportunity thus afforded of discussing 
with our legislators this vital question, and I would congratulate our 
legislative friends upon the attitude which their presence here indicates. 
It augurs well for the schools, when our legislators are desirous of 
counseling with schools. This, however, is the natural and logical 
procedure, for the school men are or should be the most competent to 
judge as to the needs of the schools and it seems to me worthy of the 
most serious consideration of this committee and of the legislators to 
know that high school men are unanimous in their unqualified opposition 
to state uniformity. 

Gentlemen of the committee, this fact that high school men and 
women are from conviction and without collusion a unit in this question 
should command your attention and does demand some satisfactory 
explanation upon the part of those who differ with them. I would 
not stultify myself nor insult the intelligence of this committee by 
discussing the trumped-up excuse of the connection between the book 
companies and the school men. Let us dismiss entirely this "bogy" 
of a book trust and its fancied connection with the school people. I 
resent even the suggestion of it and am bitterly indignant when I 
think of any man of ordinary intelligence who would pretend to be 
honest in such a contention, who would thus impugn my motives in so 
vital a matter, to say nothing of impugning the motives of all the high 
school teachers of California. It is preposterous to think of it. I 
would dismiss the matter Math the emphatic statement that the Cali- 
fornia high school teachers are neither knaves nor fools, for they are 
certainly fools if they are in the power of a book trust without knowing 
it, and knaves they must be if they are knowingly acting under its 
influence. 



48 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

We are me1 to consider the question of the state publication of high 

school textbooks. There are three phases of the problem as usually 
considered : 

Shall high school textbooks lie made uniform? 
Shall high school textbooks be free? 

Shall high school textbooks be printed by the state printing 
office .' 

These ace three distincl questions, a fact which must be kept clearly 
in mind. Do not confn.se the issue. Textbooks can be furnished free 
by the si ale, by the county, or by the district without their being 
uniform throughout the state, and certainly without being printed at 
the state printing office. Erasers, chalk, pens, etc., are furnished free to 
the pupils but they are not manufactured in Sacramento. . I have no 
doubt that textbooks can be furnished free or at cost to the pupils 
through the board of education or the trustees at a saving of 30 per 
cent as was reported by Principal W. L. Glasscock of San Mateo to 
the California Council of Education. In fact, there are a number of 
high schools in California which are now furnishing books direct to the 
pupils at cost. There are, also, Eastern cities which are furnishing 
free textbooks to their pupils, but these are not uniform throughout 
the state. Saginaw, Michigan, is a good example of this. The pupils 
have the advantage of free textbooks but without the many disadvan- 
tages of state uniformity. I do not, however, desire to discuss the 
question of free textbooks per se, for which there may or may not be 
good and sufficient reasons, but only to consider the question of free 
textbooks in so far as this is related to the main issue, viz : the printing 
of uniform textbooks for the high schools by the state printing office. 
The question therefore, is this: "Shall uniform high school texts be 
printed by the state printing office?" 

In the consideration of this problem, I desire to eliminate entirely 
the question of whether the printing of free uniform textbooks for the 
elementary schools is or is not desirable. I know that there are those 
present who would maintain that state uniformity has given the Cali- 
fornia elementary schools very inferior textbooks, considered from any 
and every point of view; that the schools are seriously handicapped 
by not being able to secure an adequate supply of books on time; that 
the supposed saving, which is but slight, is a great economic loss to the 
state by reason of the lessened efficiency of the school ; that the saving is 
fancied rather than real, if all the overhead charges are added to the 
cost of manufacturing, such as : " interest on the investment, deprecia- 
tion of plates, depreciation of plant, salaries of office force, trans- 
portation, postage, royalties paid to the author, etc." I say 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 49 

there are those present who would maintain this and I am frank to 
say I think their statements could be proven. I know that the 
elementary school men out of their own sad experience would 
testify to these facts. However, while they and we might main- 
tain this, and while the legislative committee of the state of 
Georgia after a thorough investigation with expert assistance came 
to this very conclusion with reference to our California publication 
of textbooks and therefore, recommended to the Georgia legislature 
against the state printing of textbooks, while all of these things could 
be successfully maintained, I prefer to leave them out of our argument 
and I trust they will be omitted entirely from the discussion which may 
follow, for the simple reason that our legislative friends here present 
perhaps hold different views as to the success of the state printing office 
and there would, therefore, be room for much argument. I propose 
to show you, gentlemen, regardless of what you may or may not think 
of the free publication of uniform textbooks for the grades, that the 
high school problem is entirely different, that there is practically no 
sound argument which can be advanced in favor of it, and that the 
arguments against it are themselves sufficient to convince you that the 
printing of uniform textbooks by the State Printer or anyone else, 
whether free or at cost, would so far lessen the school's efficiency and 
retard its progress as to be nothing short of a calamity. 

The high school and elementary school, while parts of one educational 
system, are separate and distinct in every phase of their educational 
work. The state law prescribes different recpiirements for the certifi- 
cate to teach ; provides differently for their maintenance ; prescribes a 
different length of school day, different hours of closing; establishes a 
different basis of marking attendance and fixes a different school year. 
There are different governing bodies in many high schools; the salary 
schedules differ in every district of the state from that of the elementary 
schools; there are different methods of administration, different 
methods and materials of teaching. Teachers are specialists teaching- 
one or two subjects, whereas, in most of the grades at least, they teach 
nearly all the subjects. The problem is different in its entirety. Since 
the law, as well as the public, already recognize that the high school 
and the elementary school are different in practically every relation, it 
need not be considered strange that the printing of free uniform text- 
books by the state, even if it were admitted to be a success in the grades, 
although I feel that it is not, might be very undesirable from every 
standpoint when applied to the high school. The high school, I say, 
is a different problem. The state printing of uniform textbooks for 
high schools is a very different problem. 

4—27503 



50 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

Wherein is this problem of state printing different .' While the fun- 
damentals of an education as implied in the three Rs may be taught 
satisfactorily from uniform textbooks, it is radically wrong from an 
educational standpoint, a gross injustice to the citizenship of the state, 
to require all its young men and women to receive the same education 
from the same textbooks, to place all in a common mold. All boys. 
whether in the same school or in different schools or cities, need to be 
la nght to add, subtract, multiply and divide, and may. perhaps, be 
taught these elemental facts of number by the same methods, from the 
uniform text whether they reside in Eureka or San Diego. The same 
may be said as to the process of learning to write or to read and also 
of the fundamentals of grammar and of geography, in fact, of all those 
subjects which are the tools of knowledge. 

The high school, however, is preeminently the period of self-discovery 
for the boy or the girl. It is not only the adolescent period physiolog- 
ically when the boys and girls find first expression of their physical and 
mental powers and also of their spiritual aspirations, but it is a period 
of unrest in every way. It is a time when the youth tries out his 
powers, when he seeks to find himself so far as his vocational purpose 
and real life work are concerned. To limit the boys and girls of this state 
at this age, to restrict them to a circumscribed course of study, which, 
of necessity, must be presupposed under state uniformity because of 
economic reasons and which, I understand, is the State Printer's 
answer to the economic argument, would be to limit the possibilities of 
our California youth ; to handicap the future citizenship of this our 
glorious state ; indeed, it would be to rob our sons and daughters of 
their very birthright in this our great California which is preeminently 
the state of unlimited choices and boundless opportunities. It would 
do more than limit the youth, it would actually drive him out of school. 
This is not theory; this is experience. There is many a boy or girl 
who has left high school because of the strait-laced courses of some 
of our schools. They could not find that which answered to their life 
career demands, and they refused to be fed on the diet which was 
intended for another. 

Not only must our courses be elastic so as to meet the individual voca- 
tional needs of its pupils, but the varying interests of the several com- 
munities must also be met, which would be impossible at times under 
si ale uniformity. Our legislature will say, at once, that these needs 
would be met in the different courses, there being a uniform free text- 
book for each course, the agricultural community, for example, choos- 
ing a different group, perhaps, from an industrial community, but all 
agricultural communities using the uniform agricultural text. We 
would ask in reply. "Can the Lodi Bigh School, with equal profit, use 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 51 

the same text in agriculture as the Oxnard High School?" Most cer- 
tainly not, The Lodi school will choose an agricultural text and give 
an agricultural course with some emphasis upon viticulture. Whereas, 
in Oxnard, the grape industry could not be studied with the same 
profit. The same would he true of other industries. 

State uniformity would not only work an injustice to the students 
and also to the community interests but it would be a gross insult to 
the intelligence of the teachers. Books are but tools. In the high 
school subjects, where the content, order of presentation and method of 
treatment differ so materially in the several texts it is as preposterous 
to demand that all carpenters use a Simonds or a Disston saw. Is there 
not the same reason for prescribing uniform apparatus in all the labora- 
tory sciences ; uniform tools in the industrial arts courses ; uniform 
equipment in all the commercial departments, and, indeed, uniform 
articles in all general school supplies? The same argument could be 
stated, although not proven, in favor of all. 

The courses and the textbooks for those courses must not only be 
chosen to suit the varying needs of the pupils and of the communities 
in which they live, and be adapted to the individuality of the teacher, 
if the highest efficiency is to be attained, but these textbooks must be 
selected in relation to the school equipment. This is true in all depart- 
ments, particularly in the cultural subjects of history, English, 
economics, to say nothing of the laboratory courses, whether in the 
sciences, commercial work or other branches. How could a small high 
school with few, if any books, use successfully a history text calling 
for a great deal of supplementary reading? Should the Los Angeles 
High School, on the other hand, with 8,100 volumes in its library, be 
compelled to use a text without such a rich fund of supplementary 
materials? There would be a gross injustice in compelling all schools 
to follow the same course and to use the same laboratory texts or 
manuals in the sciences. The small high school would find it utterly 
impossible to purchase the apparatus and supplies required by the 
science courses as given in the Oakland Technical High School. It 
would be a greater injustice to limit the efficiency of the larger high 
schools by expecting them to conform to the same course requirements 
as some of the meagerly equipped schools of the state. 

The high school is the people's college and must keep pace with the 
growth of its people. It is growing and must be permitted to grow, to 
change and develop. The state wide adoption of a textbook in some of 
the newer subjects where the subject itself and the textbooks are only 
in the process of making, would probably mean the saddling of a very 
poor book on all California schools for four years with great loss to 
the schools. It is a decided advantage that the different high schools 



52 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

can try out the different subjects and the different textbooks. The 
state thereby profits by the experiences of many rather than being 
compelled to have a uniform experience. 

If the several vocational interests of pupils, the varying needs of 
communities, the individual qualities of the teachers, and the growing 
demands of the schools and of the pupils demand local adoption rather 
than the printing office uniform textbooks by the state, what reasons 
then are there for state uniformity? Frankly, I should like very much 
to have one sound argument advanced. The only reasons I have ever 
heard are these : 

1. State uniformity would mean a saving to the parents in that 

the changes in texts would be less frequent. 

2. State uniformity would mean a saving to the parents of 

pupils moving from one school to the other since they would 

not be required to purchase new books. 
•">. State uniformity would mean a saving to the taxpayers in 

that the state printing office would furnish these at a lower 

cost. 
1. State uniformity would make it possible to favor home 

authors and provide employment at Sacramento for home 

labor. 

I would submit, at the outset, that the premise is wrong, since it 
is assumed that the financial consideration is the first in importance. I 
maintain that boys and girls are more important than dollars and 
cents ; that the cheapest is not always the best even in other com- 
modities ; that the state would pay dearly for the supposed saving by 
reason of the greatly reduced efficiency of its schools ; that it is a 
supposed saving rather than a real saving considered from a straight 
dollar and cents standpoint; that, while we believe in supporting home 
industries and encouraging every movement looking to the employ- 
ment of honest labor, Ave are unalterably opposed to any plan giving a 
preference to California authors and employment to California labor 
at the expense of the boys and the girls and of the future citizenship of 
this state. There are some things which are worth more than money. 

Let us examine a few of these reasons for state uniformity more 
closely : 

1. State uniformity would mean a saving to the parents in that the 
changes in texts would be less frequent. The present law guarantees 
all that could be desired and even more in some cases. The four years 
adoption rule mak&s it impossible to change a book within four years. 
If a four-year adopt ion can be compelled by law, then a longer period 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 53 

could be required if it were advisable without recourse to state uni- 
formity. Four years is quite long enough, however, for even a good 
book, let alone a poor one, when better books are being brought out. 
Pupils do change classes through promotion at the end of each term or 
year and new courses require new books, but state uniformity would not 
alter this, as the student could not use a first history in a second year 
class. In the grades, however, a book can not always be completed in a 
year and sometimes lasts through two or three years. The English 
and history courses as well as the courses in the sciences, in fact in 
all departments, have seen a remarkable development within the past 
few years. It would block the progress of the high schools to compel 
a longer adoption than four years. This would certainly be necessi- 
tated by state uniformity and state printing as it would be considered 
a waste of public money to furnish books if they were not to be used 
longer than four years. 

2. State uniformity would mean a saving to the parents of pupils 
moving from one school to the other since they would not be required to 
purchase new books. 

Society acts on the basis of the greatest good to the greatest number, 
even though a few individuals may be inconvenienced or even suffer 
thereby. The number of pupils moving from one school to another 
is very few indeed in comparison with the total number enrolled. 
Why should an injustice be done to the many for the convenience of 
the few who would thereby only be saved the price of purchasing a few 
extra books? Even in these few cases, the student might be saved 
on his second purchase by selling his books in his home school second 
hand. 

This argument, however, loses what little force it has when all the 
figures are presented. There were 76,429 enrolled in the high schools 
of California during the year 1914-15. How many of those do you 
think changed schools? It was impossible for me to secure data from 
all the schools, but I secured this information direct from fifteen schools 
representing an enrollment of 13,909. Requests were sent to all schools 
of 500 or over, according to last year's enrollment, but satisfactory 
replies were not received from the others. I found through reports 
from the principals of these schools that 396 pupils transferred to 
their school and 236 pupils transferred from their school during the 
year. The number of pupils changing is but 4^ per cent. This per 
cent is greater also in the larger or city schools, as the migration is 
toward the centers. I am satisfied that there is not over a 3 per cent 
change annually throughout the high schools of California. 



f>4 REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

3. State uniformity would save money to the taxpayers in that the 
state printing office could furnish these high school texts at a lower 

cost. 

May I ask our legislative friends at the outset, if they know of one 
state in the union which has done this successfully? I know of none. 
Would it he wise to try an experiment attended with such danger and 
injury to the schools without at least one precedent as a guide? So 
far as I know the only "four places in which the plan of state printing 
of any school textbooks has been either adopted wholly or in part or 
considered and rejected, are the Province of Ontario (Canada), Cali- 
fornia, Georgia and Kansas.'' and these are the elementary textbooks. 
Even in the printing of elementary school textbooks, the experience is 
not altogether encouraging. The lower price of some textbooks in 
Ontario is due "in part to different economic conditions, in part to th* 
fact that the government bears a considerable share of the expense of 
making them, in part to the fact that some of them are manufactured 
by department stores for advertising purposes and are sold at less than 
the cost of making them, in part to the government monopoly in their 
use, and in part to the relatively inferior character of the books." 
(Dr. John Franklin Brown, Cornell University.) 

The experience in California was not to be argued. We might say 
m passing, however, that Professor Brown pointed out the following 
serious error in estimating the cost of the California books. 

The cost of the state textbooks given merely as the manufacturer's 
cost plus the royalty is compared with the publisher's list price, 
whereas it should be compared with the cost price to the dealers, 
which is always at least a 20 per cent discount, and in some cases 
considerably more. This is a 20 per cenl error alone. 

In August, 1913. the state of Georgia appointed a joint committee 
of eight to investigate the question of state printing. After thorough 
investigation of the Ontario and California plan, they reported 
adversely and recommended that the state should not print uniform 
textbooks, basing their conclusions on pedagogical and economical 
grounds. 

Kansas had published only three books up to April 1, 1915. During 
the two years since the passage of the law, they succeeded in publishing 
these three books at a lower price than some of the publisher's books, 
but they were of a decidedly inferior quality, according to the press 
of Kansas, to say nothing of the school people. The Wichita Beacon, in 
speaking of the History of Kansas, one of the three books published, 
says in ils issue of January 23, 1915, "The book fell so far short of 
tin; educational standard which Kansas oiiuhl to set that it attracted 



REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 55 

much unfavorable comment." Not only so, but the cost in the 
official estimate is given as contingent upon the sale of 100,000 histories 
and 60,000 classics. 

In view of Kansas' experience, two very important questions need to 
be answered : 

1. How many courses are offered in the high school; how many 

textbooks are required for these courses ? 

2. How many pupils are there registered in each course in Cali- 

fornia ? How many copies of each text will be required ? 

The first question can not be answered exactly. However, with four 
years each of English, mathematics, Latin, German, history and science, 
there would be twenty-four courses even in the smallest high schools, to 
which would be added for the larger high schools other courses in his- 
tory, languages, including Greek, French, Spanish and Italian, science 
and mathematics ; commercial courses such as commercial English, com- 
mercial arithmetic, commercial geography, commercial law, bookkeeping, 
stenography, typewriting, advertising, salesmanship, etc. ; agricultural 
courses such as general agriculture, horticulture, live stock, irrigation 
and drainage, soils and fertilizers, etc. ; applied courses in chemistry and 
other sciences ; music, drawing and the other arts ; besides industrial 
courses and the various branches of the household arts and sciences. 
The Stockton High School offers seventy different courses and plans to 
offer more — courses, mark you, not books. Some of these require one 
book, some, as for example, the first year of English require eight or ten 
inclusive of the small 15-cent and 25-cent classics studied. 

There are 116 texts used in the Stockton High School for the four 
different years in these seventy courses. Some schools have more; the 
total number for the state in the several subjects would reach two hun- 
dred. No one pupil, however, has more than four courses each year or 
sixteen in all out of the total seventy. The strength of the high schools 
lies in this very fact — that it seeks to give each student the subjects he 
most needs as a preparation for his life work. 

As a straight business proposition, gentlemen, independent of the 
more important pedagogical reasons previously presented which are so 
essential to the school's efficiency, as a straight business proposition, 
does it seem feasible for the state to undertake the publishing of 200 
textbooks % Would it be a good business proposition for the taxpayers ? 

Since February 26, 1885, when the first appropriation was made for 
the state printing office, there have been eighteen separate appropria- 
tions for equipment and manufacturing, which with the indirect appro- 
priations, have aggregated $812,354.57. Besides these, State Superin- 
tendent Hyatt says in his bulletin of July, 1915, "Appropriations were 



56 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



made for the state printing office from time to time in subsequent years 
(after 1887) for machinery, buildings, etc., but it is not possible to 
divide the expense accurately between textbooks and other state print- 
ing." No one knows exactly what the state printing office has cost 
the state. Professor Brown of Cornell, however, after a most thorough 
investigation, has stated that it represents an investment of at least 
$2,628,501 to the taxpayers of California. If it has necessitated an 
investment of over two and one-half millions for the printing of eighteen 
elementary school texts, how many times this amount will be necessary 
to furnish two hundred different high school textbooks ? 

The most serious problem, too, is yet to be considered. There were 
but 76,429 pupils enrolled last year in all the high schools of California 
and yet Kansas has found that the prices of her books are contingent 
upon the issuance of 100,000 histories and 60,000 classics. Moreover, 
these 76,429 pupils represent many different courses, the largest number 
in any one course, viz: English composition, being but 20,174 in 
1914-15, and the smallest number being 35 in Homer's Iliad in the 
Greek, according to the official figures of the state commissioner's office. 

The total number enrolled in each of the classes for 1914-15 is as 
follows: This represents the total number of textbooks required last 
year. 



English. 

Grammar 5,392 

( 'ompositiou — Rhetoric 20,174 

Myths 10,120 

Heroic Ballads 7,2SO 

English Literature History 7,614 

American Literature History 1,222 

Oral English and Dehate 3,525 

Oration and Argument 2,181 

Selections of Poetry 14,118 

Selections of Prose 3,543 

Latin. 

First Book 6,996 

Grammar 3,512 

Caesar 3,565 

Beginner's Composition 3,310 

Cicero 991 

Advanced Composition L0S8 

Virgil 767 

Other Texts 700 



Greek. 

Grammar 

Beginner's Greek 

Anabasis 

Iliad 

Composition 



83 

<>4 
58 
35 

70 



French. 

Grammar 1,808 

Beginner's French 1,253 

Reader 698 

Composition 776 

Q( i man. 

Grammar 2,472 

Beginner's German 2,882 

Reader 2,126 

Composition 1,303 

Spanish. 

Grammar 4.S40 

Beginner's Spanish 4,S67 

Reader 3,404 

Composition 2,009 

History. 

Ancient 8,543 

Medieval and Modern 5,104 

English 2,252 

American 7,037 

General 1,008 

Industrial 344 

f'ivics 5,040 

History Note Book 2,812 

Economics 1,339 

Parliamentary Law 274 



REPOKT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



57 



Commercial. 

Bookkeeping , 6,S50 

Shorthand Text 5,272 

Speller 3,407 

Law 1,543 

Geography 1,511 

Correspondence 2,414 

Arithmetic 4,501 

Accounting 728 

Banking 165 

Business Practice 641 

Music Boole 4,446 

History of Art 580 

Mathematics. 

Algebra, First Year 14,316 

Algebra, Advanced 2,445 

Geometry (Plane) 9,370 



Geometry (Solid) 1,371 

Trigonometry l,0OS 

Calculus 77 

Higher Arithmetic 163 

Mechanics 11 

Science. 

Physics 3,391 

Chemistry 5,835 

Physical Geography 3,002 

Botany 1,753 

Zoology 1,394 

Physiology 1,004 

Geology 102 

Domestic Science 1,871 

Household Chemistry 467 

Agriculture 737 

Biology 717 



It is a well-known fact that the greatest cost is in the first 25,000 
books, and that 25,000 represents the smallest edition which could be 
printed with profit to the state. How then can the state expect to print 
high school textbooks with profit when there is but one subject, first- 
year English, requiring 20,000 copies, and but three in which there were 
more than 10,000 textbooks required, and where the great majority of 
courses outside of English would require under 5,000 books? 

But, says one of the advocates of state printing, "We will reduce the 
number of textbooks," while another suggests that one large edition 
could be printed and continued in use until the supply is exhausted. 

It will be utterly impossible to reduce the number of textbooks with- 
out irreparable injury to the schools. This implies a restriction of the 
courses and a consolidation of classes. As I have tried to show above, 
the pupils must choose their courses or subjects according to their own 
needs. "Will there be any justice in compelling a boy who is preparing 
for civil engineering to take the same course as the girl who is studying 
household economics with a view of teaching ? The illustration may be 
somewhat extraordinary, but pupils will be subject to such injustice if 
the state undertakes to fill the need of the high schools by printing 
forty-eight books as has been suggested. 

It would be even more unjust to continue the use of any given book 
until an edition of 25,000 was exhausted, as this represents the minimum 
number which the state could successfully print. How long would 
such an edition last ? A few examples will be sufficient : 

Third year Latin texts would last 26 years; fourth year Latin 32 
years ; Greek texts, from 300 to 700 years ; German texts, 10 or 11 years ; 
English History, 11 years ; economics, 18 years ; commercial law, 16 
years ; business practice, 39 years ; biology, 34 years ; agriculture, 33 
years ; household chemistry, 53 years. The absurdity of continuing the 



58 REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

single edition in high school subjects is evident. Some of these subjects 
have been revolutionized within five years. Scientific books are out of 
date in five years, so rapidly are discoveries being made. Shall we 
mortgage the interests of the boys and girls of the next generation ami 
be compelled to teach that which is not true for the sake of having the 
state printing office publish free uniform textbooks ' 

In closing, permit me to briefly summarize the argument presented: 

There are three separate questions which must be kept distinct, free 
textbooks, uniform textbooks and textbooks printed by the state. High 
school texts can be furnished free, if desired, without being made 
uniform and without being furnished by the state. 

The advantages or disadvantages of the state printing of the elemen- 
tary textbooks need not be considered as arguments for or against the 
printing of high school textbooks, which is an entirely different problem. 
While the fundamentals of an education may be taught from uniform 
textbooks, it is a gross injustice to the youth of the state to receive the 
same education from uniform textbooks. The high school is a period 
of self -discovery. The courses and the textbooks must be selected to 
meet their individual vocational needs, as well as the varying interests 
of the communities in which they live and, of necessity, must be chosen 
with relation to their individual school equipment. These courses must 
also keep pace with the growing demands of society and be suited to 
the individuality of the teachers. 

There is no necessity of state uniformity in order to prevent too 
frequent changes of textbooks as the four-year adoption law covers the 
case fully. This time could be lengthened if necessary. There is no 
necessity for state uniformity, scarcely an excuse, because of the pupils 
who change schools, since they represent but 3 per cent of the total num- 
ber enrolled. The convenience of the few is not to be considered if it 
works an injury to the great majority. 

State printing can not result in any great saving to the citizens. The 
taxpayer must pay for all of it directly or indirectly. The printing of 
the elementary textbooks represents an expenditure of nearly $2,500,000. 
It would require several times that to print the first edition of the high 
school textbooks, which number about two hundred. Moreover, the 
overhead expense of interest on the investment, depreciation of plant, 
salaries, storage, transportation added to the manufacturing cost would 
make it a losing investment to the state. 

The printing of uniform high school textbooks is not only unpedagog- 
ical and uneconomical, but it is without any precedent whatsoever. 
Ontario and Kansas arc the only places where the state prints any of 
the school textbooks, and they arc elementary texts. Finally, the num- 
ber of copies of the different textbooks required would make it impossi- 
ble for the si ale to print these without continuing them in use from 11 to 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 59 

53 years, as was proven, since at least 25,000 copies of the text must 
be printed in order for it to pay the state to make the investment. 

In conclusion, gentlemen of the committee, I desire to thank you again 
for your presence and your careful attention and to remind you of the 
fact that you have been called upon to decide one of the most vital 
questions which ever concerned the high schools of California. Your 
decision will in a large measure determine the efficiency of the schools 
a generation hence. I shall place the matter in your hands with the 
utmost confidence, since the interests of our California schools leave but 
one course open to you and that is local adoption. 



60 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

Exhibit E. 

[Address of Mr. Tracy.] 

"Mr. Garrison said he was born in Indiana. I may say I was born 
in Illinois, and my father was born in Pennsylvania. My grandfather 
was born in Vermont, and the original Tracy came over on the May- 
flower — Lieutenant Thomas Tracy. I might also add that my father 
was an educator; was county superintendent of schools of Warren 
County, Illinois, and my mother was a teacher ; and of six children four 
were pedagogues — two of us escaped. So that when I approach a dis- 
cussion of high school textbooks, uniform textbooks in our high schools, 
I do so with a friendly spirit. My immediate family connections were 
with a group of pedagogues ; and I admire the pedagogue, even though 
he may refer to himself as an idealist. I think this about the finest 
group of people, if we may divide ourselves in groups, that we have. 
It isn't in a spirit to combat them that I am here; rather, if possible, 
to cooperate in every way with them. I don't think that we started 
off just right yesterday as proponents and opponents, figuring ourselves 
as lined up on two sides of a mark. I believe that the legislative com- 
mittee, the school teachers and the high school principals, the State 
Printer and the representatives of the typographical conference, all have 
in mind the trying to accomplish something for the best interests of the 
educational system of California. Had I been left alone to determine 
the future course of the typographical conference, after listening to 
the monograph read to us by Mr. Wood, I would lie willing to say to 
your committee: 'Gentlemen, so much has been accomplished that if you 
will accept what Mr. "Wood offers, I will be willing to pack my grip and 
return to San Francisco. To have Mr. Wood, Mr. McMath and Mr. 
Garrison come out frankly, honestly and openly with the statement that 
they believe that we should have free textbooks in the high schools is so 
satisfactory to me that, personally, I am willing that the other propo- 
sitions that your committee has been called upon to investigate may 
wait. ' 

"The suggestion of California authorship is incidental to the main 
question. The subject of sectional textbooks is an idea, and an idea 
only at the present time, and it may wait ; and the subject of the state 
printing textbooks, in my opinion, is one that will take care of itself. If 
it is practical, economical and to the best interests of the school system 
of the state of California that some of our best books be printed at 
Sacramento, then the Legislature and the people of California will take 
care of that question as it develops and arises from time to time. So I 
feel that we have readied a point in this matter that you are investi- 
gatiim where there is very little left over in which we may differ. In 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 61 

making that statement, I don 't want to be misunderstood in the matter 
at all ; that is, I don 't want to say that I subscribe to everything that was 
advanced here yesterday by Mr. Garrison and Mr. McMath and others 
who spoke, because I don't. I don't agree that the present high school 
system is what it should be. As a matter of fact, I don't think that we 
know ourselves just what is best to be done. The whole subject of 
education, so far reaching, and its development, has been of such a 
character that few of us really understand it. To some it appears to 
have been a development from the top down, rather than from the 
bottom up. 

"I wish to call attention to the fact that from an educational system 
which contemplated schools for the aristocratic and well-to-do people 
of centuries ago our common school system was evolved. Not many 
generations ago it wasn't thought to be necessary that the common 
people should receive much education at all, and the system developed 
with the idea that only a small fraction of the people needed a certain 
kind of education only — an academic education — an education that 
would supply the need for lawyers, statesmen, physicians, surgeons and 
clergymen, and that was about its limitations. And so there grew up 
an educational system that contemplated the education of boys and 
girls to be ministers, to be doctors, to be lawyers, and to become states- 
men. And as civilization advanced and developed, we had, first, colleges 
as an adjunct to the universities; then we had academies, now called 
high schools, and, as I said before, we seem to be developing downward 
rather than up from the common schools to the universities. 

' ' Now, with this development, we have carried along all of the acade- 
mic theories of education. Our high schools are, to a large extent, domi- 
nated by academic texts and teachers. We have all the lawyers we need, 
and more; we have all the ministers that the community will support, 
and more ; we have all the physicians that are necessary, and perhaps 
more. Of course, statesmen are born, not made. [Laughter.] "We 
have got to a point where we have thousands of boys and girls that must 
make a living for themselves and be able to perform the duties that are 
required of good citizenship. They must be prepared for the battle of 
life and they must follow other lines that deal with the industries. The 
field of industry is about the largest that we have now to consider 
because it offers employment to those who must live, raise their families, 
and educate their children. The other vocations in life that I have 
referred to seem to be closed to a great many of the children of today. 

' ' Now, our technical schools and schools of manual arts are responsive 
to the necessity of our present-day civilization. They have come to us 
because our educators realize and all of us have been forced into the 
belief that something more must come out of our educational system 



62 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

than doctors, lawyers, ministers, etc. Bui have we approached the sub- 
ject in the right way .' Are our technical schools and the schools of 
manual arts doing the best wort possible ? I contend that they can not 
be doing the best work possible because they are in an experimental 
stage. We have a beautiful school building over there that cost several 
thousand dollars, and we are pleased to point to that school building 
and say, 'That is the school of manual arts or polytechnic' But what 
is it really doing for the boys and girls that must make a living? I 
will tell you that it is not turning out just what this community needs. 
It is still turning out what I would call half-baked artisans. And in 
this development through which we are passing we have lost sight 
of some of the fundamentals, lost sight of the fact that in our desire 
for a higher education we have slopped over, as it were, some of the 
things that are absolutely necessary to make a secure foundation upon 
which to build. Got too far away from readin', writin' and 'rithmetic. 
At least, I think we have. I have sent my two boys through high 
school. The youngest boy hasn't quite finished. He is 19 years of 
age and he can not spell. He can not spell; he does not know what 
punctuation is. He can tell a comma from a semicolon, because a 
semicolon has got a dot over the tail. What it means he does not 
know. No one has ever told him; no one has taught him. He has 
burned midnight oil reading 'Treasure Island' because it is interest- 
ing — something about the story that appeals to him. So, when we 
contemplate this subject we should bear in mind the fundamentals 
of education — the general education that belongs to the elementary 
grades, and when we take the scholar from the elementary grades 
and pass him into the high schools, it should be with the thought 
in mind that that boy or girl is going through a course of preparation 
for a life 's work ; not necessarily a life 's work as an attorney at law, 
a minister of the gospel, but perhaps as a boilermaker, mason, or 
patternmaker or a printer, or to follow some of the other trades. 

"Now, somebody spoke about doing something for the 'culls.' I 
believe it w T as Mr. McMath. We have 'culls' among the boys and girls 
just the same as we have in our apple orchards and in our vineyards, 
in our orange groves, and no matter how much we may sympathize with 
the boy or girl that is a born 'cull,' still a 'cull' is a 'cull,' and you 
• an not make anything else of a 'cull' than a 'cull.' That is the way 
nature produced it, whether it was in the orchard, in the vineyard, or 
in our own family. 

"One trouble with our educational system has been, to my mind, 
trying to make something out of a 'cull' other than a 'cull.' You can 
not do it. If you want a semiskilled mechanic, perhaps you can get 
him out of a 'cull,' but there is no use spending money and wasting 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 63 

time having that 'cull' read 'Homer's Iliad,' or 'Cicero.' And that 
has been, to my mind, the large fault of our high school system. Take 
your child out of the elementary grade, put him in the first or second 
year of high school and test him out and find, if you can, or as nearly 
as you can, what the child is best fitted for in life; what vocation he 
can follow that promises the most for him, and then supplement his 
general education with a course of instruction and textbooks that fit 
into his life and his wants and his desires, and I think you have done 
the best that you can do for the boy and the girl. 

"And in so far as uniformity of textbooks is the subject for discus- 
sion, I wish to say that I think that the uniform textbook system will 
work itself out when we get our high school system worked down to 
where it ought to be. If you want, to make a printer, or if you want 
to make an artisan that can design in a ladies' tailoring establishment, 
you must teach them certain principles that go along with that trade. 
If you want to make of a boy a printer that can produce a calendar 
like that you must teach him something besides the picking up and 
setting down of type. You must teach him color harmony, and shape 
harmony, and tone harmony, so that he will know what a calendar 
should look like to be attractive. That sort of schooling should go 
along with the education that you offer to boys in your technical schools 
who want to become printers, and if he is to be a ladies' garmentworker, 
so-called, he must learn to blend the colors and shades that go into 
garments that will satisfy the tastes and desires of the ladies who are 
going to wear the garments. You can teach that skill in the high 
schools, and you will find that the skill will respond if the child's mind 
turns that way ; but you can not make a garment cutter in ladies ' goods, 
nor a printer that will build calendars like that, or a book like that, 
by having him study some of the things that he is now compelled to 
study in the high schools. 

"Another point I want to call to the attention of the principals of 
the high schools. You should take a survey of your own community. 
In California you should make a survey of the industries of the western 
part of this country as far as you can go, and you should not set up 
half-a-million dollar polytechnic high schools to turn out patternmakers 
or workers in ladies' garments or printers beyond the needs of the 
business for this section of the country. You should not have a class 
in your polytechnic high school, including perhaps fifty, sixty or more 
patternmakers. As this is not a manufacturing community, there is 
not much demand for patternmakers here. Those things should be 
studied out, surveyed, put down in black and white. Get your data 
as nearly correct as possible, and you will get somewhere" in your poly- 
technic schools. 



64 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

"Another thought that I would suggesl is this, and we will take the 

printing trade for example. You have in Los Angeles today seventy- 
five boys, perhaps, that have been apprenticed to the printing trade. 
Chances are that a large percentage of those boys have chosen this 
vocation because they like it or they want to follow that particular 
trade. With a cooperative spirit between the principal of the poly- 
technic school and the employer of these apprentice boys, you can take 
those boys, or a large percentage of them, into your polytechnic school 
at night and give them that supplementary education so necessary that 
they rnay get a thorough knowledge of principles. On the other hand, 
possibly you have taken up a boy or girl who has a passing fancy that 
they want to set type. If so, you have wasted a lot of time. Bring 
your schools as closely as possible to the needs and the wants of the 
community in which you have the school, and then you are going to 
get somewhere with that school. 

"When we are on our feet and talking we are always prone to dig 
at, some fellow that spoke before us. [Laughter.] I am going to refrain 
from taking any such advantage because of my high regard for school 
teachers. My first impression yesterday was that the school teachers 
had again given evidence of their lack of being practical when they 
allowed themselves to shoot their own gun first, but it wasn't for me to 
determine. However, I am rather glad that it happened just that way 
because it proved to my mind that there isn't really any difference 
between us. We all want to do the best we can for the schools of 
California. We believe that we should have free texts in the high 
schools, because the expense of education has reached the point where 
a poor man many times is compelled to take his child out of school. 
( me point that was brought out here yesterday was the expense per 
per pupil per day; I think it was $2.00 per day. I don't know that it 
is exactly right, but the gentleman who spoke ought to know; he is in 
the school business. That is a tremendous item! Two dollars a day 
to send a child to school. Two dollars a day in the city of Los Angeles 
to send a child to your high schools! It is shocking! Of course he 
backed up this statement with what he believes to be a good reason for 
the expenditure of the money. 

"Now, as to the purpose of this committee. I hope you can see your 
way clear, gentlemen, to make a favorable report at Sacramento on 
the subject of free textbooks in the high schools. I believe that you 
will do something that will lie appreciated by the people of California. 
I believe if the question goes before the people of this state that it will 
receive ;in overwhelming majority. I believe that, because of the expres- 
sions made hSre by Mr. Wood and others. They favored the idea. I 
believe that the people of California will vote for free high school 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 65 

textbooks if tliey get the chance. I don't know of any time when the 
people have refused to vote for free texts when the opportunity was 
presented, and the reason why they do that is because they love the 
schools. They spend their money lavishly in support of our school 
system, and they are very proud and jealous of it, and whenever you 
can put before the people a proposition intended for the betterment of 
the educational system, you're going to get their undivided support. 
"I hope your committee will see its way clear, after its investigations, 
to report at Sacramento next January the desirability of free textbooks 
in the high schools. The matter of state printing and of sectional 
textbooks, etc., are incidental questions, to my mind. The main ques- 
tion is the free textbook. The other things will take care of themselves." 



S— 27503 



(JG 



REPORT OF TKXTHOOK COMMITTED. 



Exhibit F. 

[Bbief Submitted i:y Various Interests.] 



CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOOKS 



State Printing and Free Distribution Advocated for High Schools. 
Recommendation of a System Similar to Elementary Grades. 



UNIFORMITY IN HIGH SCHOOL BOOKS, 

Selection of Texts by Most Competent 
Judges of the Best Books as the Standard, 
Saving of Time and Expense in Removals, 
Freedom From Book-Agent Solicitation, 
Home Production and Economy, 
FREE DISTRIBUTION, 

vs. 

IRREGULARITY OF TEXTS, 

Similar Arguments Once Used Against Present 
Elementary Texts, 

Claims for Individuality of Pupil, Teacher, Prin- 
cipal, School, District, County. 

Claims for Geographical Needs, 

The Book Publishing Companies, and 

Extravagance. 



THE PEOPLE OF 
THE STATE OF 
CALIFORNIA. 



The State of California adopted the free distribution, or state pay- 
ment, of textbooks in the elementary schools in 1912. The success of 
this plan, in economy of production and satisfactory results, has become 
a monument to California's progress and an emulative incentive to other 

states. 

If the furnishing of textbooks to the children of the elementary or 
grammar grades, without direct cost to the parents, is advantageous, 
why not, its advocates contend, adopt a similar system throughout the 
high schools? 

When the measure for free distribution of common school textbooks 
was before the stale legislature, its opponents asserted that there was no 
popular demand for such a system, but when submitted to a vote of the 
people, their approval was decisive. The success of state printing and 
distribution, since the inauguration of this plan, has been so apparent. 
that another vote upon free school books would undoubtedly include 
those for the high school students also. 

Free Books Mean More and Better Education. 

For nearly four years, California's elementary schools have been 
truly democratic. The state has furnished, without direct cost : school 



REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



67 



teachers, equipment and the textbooks. But the high school student is, 
or his parents are, compelled to purchase expensive books for that educa- 
tional course. This cost is one factor in the explanation that but a 
small percentage of elementary grade students enter the high school. 

The same forces which opposed the inauguration of free textbooks in 
the grammar schools are now opposing high school adoption. Some 
teachers, in the minority we trust, have taken a stand in opposition to 
state printing, as well as free distribution. This stand is certainly in 
the interests of the eastern schoolbook publishing firms who are furnish- 
ing texts to most of the states outside of California, and at a much 
higher price than it is costing our taxpayers. 

California a Leader in Education. 

If this State can save its citizens two hundred thousand dollars 
annually on its schoolbooks, the menace to trust control is apparent in 
most of the other states. Other legislatures are commencing to investi- 
gate our system and are looking to us for data. To perpetuate their 
grasp on the school books of the country, these corporations are willing 
to spend a considerable sum to hamper California's free distribution 
plan, and, if possible, to prevent her from including the books for the 
higher schools. 

In considering the advisability of introducing state distribution of 
books in the high schools, we must base our conclusions largely upon the 
success of the system in the elementary schools. The following table 
shows the present cost of manufacture, amount of ro} r alty, chargeable 
cost, costs in 1911, and prices paid by other states : 



Comparative Prices. 



Name of book 



Primer 

Pirst Reader 

Second Reader 

Third Reader 

Fourth Reader 

Fifth Reader 

Speller One 

Speller Two 

First Arithmetic 

Advanced Arithmetic 

New Lessons One 

New Lessons Two 

Introductory History __. 

Brief History 

Introductory Geography 
Advanced Geography __. 

Primer of Hygiene 

Civics 

Writing Book One 

Writing Book Two 

Writing Book Three 

Writing Book Four 

Writing Book Five 



Royalty 



$.085 $.048 
.048 
.0525 
.06 
.09 
.09 
.025 
.025 
.0525 
.09 
.0675 
.09 
.15 
.15 



.078 
.093 
.113 
.128 
.129 
.103 
.101 
.104 
.123 
.139 
.146 
.142 
.211 
.203 
.349 
.106 
.168 
.028 
.028 
.028 
.028 
.028 



$2,519 



.15 

.06 

.125 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 



$1.5135 



$4.60 



1911 price 



Publisher's 
price 



$7.25 



Present manufacturing cost, $2,519 ; royalty, $1.5135 ; shipping, etc. 
fornia's total cost, $4.60. Price, under previous administration, $7.25. 
Eastern publishers' price, $9.79. 



.32 
35 
.40 
.60 
.60 
.25 
.30 
.35 
.60 
.45 
.60 
.65 

1.00 
.60 

1.00 
.40 
.75 
.05 
.05 
.05 
.05 
.05 



$9.79 



$.5675 ; Call- 



(is 



1 1 1 : PORT OF TEXTBOOK COM M I TTEE. 



State Publication Means Less Cost. 

The cost of element .try school textbooks, in 23 states, where data has 
Item available, averages about $10. The complete cost in California, 
including manufacture, royalty for copyrighted plates, and distribution, 
is less than $4.60. Even under a former nonprogressive, unbusiness- 
like administration, the cost, under state manufacture, was twenty-five 
per cent less than when purchased from eastern publishers. Printed 
under progressive methods the cost has been reduced over fifty per cent 
compared with costs from eastern concerns. 

Recently a newspaper in this State, anti-administration in its char- 
acter, in opposition to free textbook system stated that the state printing 
plant represented a valuation of a million dollars. The total value of 
the plant is but one-tenth this sum. and only about one-quarter of the 
equipment is used for schoolbook manufacture. The annual output of 
the plant is about a third of a million dollars and the annual saving, 
under economical management, more than sufficient to replace the 
entire equipment each year. 

Taking the intermediate dictionary as an illustration, it is shown that 
even a greater difference in price is paid where the state does not enter 
into competition. These books are printed in the East and sold in this 
State for eighty cents to one dollar each. It lias been figured that they 
can be printed in the State Printing Office for twenty cents. Even 
were a royalty of the same sum allowed for copyrighted plates, the cost 
to the students would be but half or less than at present. There are 
over 400,000 common school pupils, and, without including the 76,000 
high school students, the saving of forty cents per book would amount 
to over $160,000. 

Purchased Books and Free Distribution. 
Books sold annually under eastern publication to school children, prior to 

state publication, 1SS4 151,250 

Books manufactured by State and sold at cost in 1912 641,697 

Books manufactured under present administration and distributed under 

free textbook plan in 1913 1,351,061 

Books to be manufactured in 1916 will exceed the 1913 figures. 
There will not only be more books issued, but they will be of larger 
size, including colored plates and improved appearance. 

Elementary School Books, Sold and Distributed Free, 1887-1914. 



Royalty 



Prior to July 1, 1904 

July 1, 1904-June 30, 1905.. 
July 1, 1905-Junc 30, 1906.. 
.Inly 1. 1906-June 30, 1907- 
July 1, 1907-June 30, 1908.. 
-Tuly 1, 1908-June 30, 1909.. 
July 1, 1909-June 30, 1910.. 
July 1, 1910-June 30, 1911.. 
July 1, 1911-June 30, 1912.. 
July 1, 1912-June 30, 1913— 
July 1, 1913-June 30, 1914.. 
July 1, 1914-June 30, 1915*. 



4,052,327 
403,754 
453,995 
521,453 
551,122 
578,246 
600,348 
683,079 
683,527 
476,241 
13,526 



477,933 

1,379,154 

529,116 



$10,821 75 
41,375 40 
46,095 96 
49,986 22 
52,893 83 
35,434 32 
40,425 24 
41,922 60 
42,100 08 
55,321 72 
86,140 38 
30,188 87 



*The new series of books being printed in 1916 will show an increase over any or" 
these figures. 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



69 



Comparative Costs. 

The comparative costs and prices, on the twenty-three books* in the 
state series, are as follows: List price of eastern manufactured books, 
as sold in other states, and in California prior to state manufacture, 
$9.79. Cost and price of printed books in this State prior to the pres- 
ent administration: Manufacturing, $5,694; royalty, $1,556. Total, 
$7.25. Present costs: Manufacture, $2,519; royalty, $1.5135. Total 
cost, $4.60. 

It will be noted that even with the great saving the state is now 
making with its own publication, we are still paying within 4| cents of 
the former total royalty. 

*The 23 books in the elementary school series have been increased to 29, in 1916, 
and the total saving will amount to a greater sum. 

Economy Per Grade Over Old Method. 

First grade ^Jk'o?c qo 

Second grade 01 o5? ?T 

Third grade fl,281 41 

Fourth grade 35,485 80 

Fifth grade 47,4/7 85 

Sixth 1 

Seventh { grades 92,651 49 

Eighth J 

$241,652 63 



On the basis of a total of 400,000 f children in the elementary schools, 
the comparative textbook costs are as follows : 

tThe present attendance of over 420,000 pupils would show a 5 per cent additional 
saving. 

Total Costs. 



Grade 


Pupils 


Eastern 

manufacturers' 

prices 


Cost prior to 
Gov. Johnson 
administration 


Present cost 


First _ - _ - - _----_ 


86,880 
52,472 
51,281 
49,980 
46,095 
41,969 ] 
37,189 \ 
35,139 J 


$45,603 20 
34,106 80 
64,101 25 
64,974 00 
89,885 25 

167,876 00 


$36,489 60 
25,711 28 
49,742 57 
46,481 40 
65,915 85 

118,772 07 


$26,064 00 


Second _ 


18,889 92 


Third 


32,819 84 


Fourth _. 


29,488 20 


Fifth _. 


42,407 40 


Sixth 




Seventh _ _ _ _ _ 


75,224 51 


Eighth 












$466,546 50 


$343,112 77 


$224,893 87 









Saving in plan of state publication, over eastern purchase, when first 
inaugurated, 27 per cent. Comparison and amount saved by the 
State Printing Department : Cost of textbooks if purchased from 
eastern manufacturers, $466,546.50 ; cost printed in California, under 
the present administration, $224,893.87 ; amount saved annually, 
$241,652.63 ; or 52 per cent over old methods. 



70 REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

WHY NOT FREE HIGH SCHOOL BOOKS IN CALIFORNIA OR 
BOOKS PUBLISHED WITHIN THIS STATE AND SOLD AT 
HALF THE PRESENT PRICES? 

High School Books. 

There is no question that thousands of dollars can be saved to the 
taxpayers of this state, by having their high school books printed and 
distributed under a system similar to that prevailing in the elementary 
schools. Either under the method of state printing- and selling at cost, 
in effect upon common school books for 28 years prior to 1912, or 
distributed under the present plan, a large amount annually can be 
saved the high school students and their parents. 

No Present Standard in High School Books! 

Objection to state printing may be made on the grounds that to 
furnish the variety of books called for by the different counties, districts 
or teachers, would make the cost prohibitive. This is true, and is the 
argument used by the agents of the various book companies now hold- 
ing a monopoly on these textbooks. The same argument was used 
when books for the grammar grades were first considered. But the 
standardization of the textbooks for the elementary schools eliminated 
this difficulty and benefited their general educational facilities. 
Already legislation has been enacted and some slight progress made 
toward uniformity in the high schools of the state. 

If Feasible in Grammar Schools, Why Not in the High? 

Ill the elementary or common schools of California there are over 
400,000 students using 23 books in the eight grades, at a series' cost of 
$1.60. The high school students number less than one-sixth, or a total 
of about 66,000. (The attendance in the elementary schools has in- 
creased to over 120,000, and in the high schools to 76,000.) A year ago, 
before standardization was undertaken, the number of textbooks on the 
selective list was ovei' one thousand. The cost of a set of books, for 
the four years' course, is approximately $30, though in some sec- 
tions of the state it is over $40. If a reduction of fifty per cent can 
be made upon these books (the difference between publishers' prices 
and state cost on elementary books) the saving would amount to 66,000 
times f>() per ccnl of $7.50 (one year's books), or $247,500. The life 
of a book being about three years, this saving would amount to over 
$80,000 annually. As many books are kept by the owners and not 
transferred to other students, the total amount which could be saved 
would probably amount to considerably over $100,000 annually. 

If the State of California has not the funds, at the present time, to 
inaugurate the free textbook system in the high schools, there is no 
good reason why the books can not be printed in the State Printing 
Department and distributed at cost to the students. This was done 
with the elementary school books, prior to the adoption of free distri- 
bution, and saved thousands of dollars to this State. 

Textbooks can profitably be printed in the State Printing Office in 
editions of 10,000, and possibly less. With 76,000 students, is it not 
possible to print thai minimum number on each book used? 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 71 

High School Attendance Almost Prohibitory. 

Why should it be necessary for a student, moving from one district 
to another, or from any one part of the State to another, to buy an 
entire lot or a great many new textbooks? And why should it be neces- 
sary for a student to take up an unfamiliar book when his studies are 
transferred to another school? 

If it is thought necessary to omit printing certain books of which a 
small number are used, and which could more profitably be purchased 
outside, why can not the books upon standard subjects be made uniform 
in text, viz : English, Mathematics, History, Science, Music and Com- 
mercial Course. 

Possibly those upon French, German, Spanish, Greek and Latin 
could be purchased economically by a state, contract with publishers 
upon requisite number. 

Why the Objection to Change in High School Book System. 

The school book publishing companies of the East naturally object to 
losing several hundred thousand dollars' business annually in Cali- 
fornia, but more than the loss of this business they fear its effect on 
other states. California is one of the foremost in education, and the 
leader among all the states in doing its own printing. Other states have 
commenced to follow our plan in printing their own books, and the 
eastern book corporations can not afford to let us include high school 
books also without a fight. 

Adding the high school books to California publication will mean a 
saving of at least $100,000 to our taxpayers, and a corresponding 
loss to the book companies. That they will fight against this financial 
loss to themselves is evident. 

School Teachers Opposing. 

When free distribution of books was first contemplated for the 
elementary or grammar grades, and the bill of enactment was intro- 
duced in the legislature, many of the school teachers fought against 
it. Unfortunately, in the present advocacy of "printed-and-sold-at-cost 
high school books," a great part of the teaching fraternity, at least 
many of the leaders, have put themselves in the same position. 

We do not believe that the greater part of our high school teaching 
fraternity have thus aligned themselves for any other motives than 
their desire for an unlimited number of selective texts. But we ques- 
tion their good judgment, their attainment of better teaching facilities, 
and their consideration of our taxpayers' burden. 

Some of the teachers argue that there should be a difference in the 
textbooks used in a school with a large supplementary library, and 
one without. We concede that supplemental books are valuable for the 
student in advance of his class and in research work, but believe their 
value does not detract from the need of a uniform standard textbook 
for the city and country student. They should, when available, be truly 
supplemental and not to supplant. 

We believe the use of supplemental books is largely for the purpose 
of adding to the already lengthy list of books for which the taxpayer 
is compelled to pay, for under the state publication or the library sys- 
tem, the people pay the bills. But the difference between the two is : 



72 REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

no uniformity and unlimited volumes on the one hand, and uniformity 
and economy on the other. 

Possibly this committee is not aware of the fact that supplemental 
books are now being forced on the children in the elementary schools. 
Through the importuning of salesmen for the eastern publishing houses, 
and the recommendations of some of the teachers, the elementary schools 
are being loaded with "supplemental" books through the libraries. 
"We can cite you instances where the state series of texts in the grammar 
schools has been ignored and supplanted by these supplementary books. 
This appears to the proponents as a well-laid plan to discourage the 
use of uniform texts in our elementary schools, and to add to the cost 
of the common school system. Supplemental books may be of value as 
supplements, but we believe that the recognized text should come first. 
If more study or reading matter is needed, why are not the present 
standard texts enlarged to meet the needs? 

The objection of possible contagion from the book that has been used 
by two or three pupils has proved negligible, though this was once the 
cry against the free textbook system ; but it could certainly be brought 
against the supplemental, or library system, where but little check can 
be kept on its use. 

At a former meeting of your committee, several teachers asserted, 
though not publicly, that they were even against the present uniform 
system of books in the elementary schools. Of course these same 
teachers are active opponents of the measure now before you, but we 
w r ill venture to state that were the question of uniformity, excellence 
and economy of our present free textbook system endangered by relapse 
into the old diversified and extravagant plan, the people of California 
would vote, overwhelmingly, in favor of our present system. 

We believe that the people of the State are in favor of home produc- 
tion where possible ; in fact there are laws now on the statutes providing 
for this, but too often ignored. The State of California has been able 
to purchase its supplies within this State for the manufacture of its 
grammar school books, to pay its mechanics a better wage than is paid 
by the eastern publishers, and to compete successfully on its costs. We 
know that our production is not only more economical, the money 
expended left within the State, but that the workmanship of the product 
is superior. 

It may not be out of place, right here, to present another phase of the 
question and leave it, without comment, for your consideration. 

AMERICAN SCHOOL BOOKS MADE IN JAPAN. 
(Philadelphia Press, Dec. 26, 1915.) 

It seems almost absurd that man; of Ihe textbooks used in our schools should 
be printed and bound in Japan and exported to this country, but since the advent 
of the Underwood tariff the condition is true — alarmingly true — for the printing 
trade. 

Time was when the highly colored A. l'». C. hooks of the children, the fairy tales 
and the tinselled, embossed postcards of flamboyant color and fanciful design, were 
"made in Germany," mucb to the disgust of American printers. Even the highly- 
decorated cigar hands of red and gold with the resonant Spanish names had tiny 
"made in Germany" marks where few could see them. But there was no serious 
competition, in fact little, if any, in the matter of printing hooks in the English 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 73 

language, and particularly educational books in English. There was considerable 
disparity between the wages of German printers and binders and those employed in 
America. But the disparity was made up by our protective provisions. Under the 
Payne-Aldrich tariff so-hoolbooks were dutiable. 

Under the Underwood tariff schoolbooks can come into this country free of duty. 
When the matter came up, objections to the proposed provisions for free schoolbooks 
were met with the argument that the light of education would be made to shine for 
all free of tariff impediments, and the complaints of the publishers were laughed to 
scorn. 

But the prediction the publishers made then is coming true, and were it not for 
the European war today it would mean virtually the complete destruction in this 
country of a large portion of the printing business. 

But Germany, unfailing producer of everything anyone could make use of, is 
paralyzed by the great war. Her fleets are swept from the seas and her foreign 
commerce destroyed. 

And now the business of cheap printing has been taken up by Japan — the wonder 
nation of the East — with its cheap labor and its cheap supplies that can not be 
duplicated in this country for many times the cost. 

Japanese compositors earn about fifteen cents a day, and pressmen and binders 
are paid in the same proportion. This is about one-twentieth of the wages paid 
in the United States for similar work. Paper, too, can be made in Japan for less 
than one-half the American cost of production. 

And so it is that American schoolbooks are being reproduced in Japan with 
Oriental exactitude and exported to the United States for seven cents apiece. 
The same books, made in America, cost thirty-three and one-third cents apiece, with 
all the advantages of American machinery and increased per capita production by 
American workmen. 

America has a high scale of wages. American workmen enjoy advantages and 
comforts of civilization such as never were available to any people in the history of 
the world. America is giving her children the greatest advantages of any people in 
the world today. And it is right that she should. Her standard must never be 
lowered by permitting the unequal competition of the poorly-paid labor of other 
countries, and least of all of the teeming millions of the Orient. 

When the free textbook amendment was before the state legislature it 
was opposed, we believe, from a knowledge of its enactment, by a 
maiority of the school-teachers. "While this opposition may have repre- 
sented but a minority of the teaching fraternity, yet, if so, we do not 
know of more than a very few who actively or publicly supported it. 
Their contention at that time was that "uniformity" would destroy 
the value of tuition in the grammar or elementary schools, and that 
district or county selection should be made the unit. 

The same vague problem is thrust forward today when a reasonable 
standardization and economical plan is submitted. 

California has taken the lead in its elementary schools with its free 
textbooks and there are some who would have us wait until other states 
caught up with our present high standard before we advance farther. 
Other states are following California's lead in throwing off the grip of 
the book companies and are patterning after our system. Other states 
also are meeting the same opposition we met in inaugurating our free 
schoolbook system ; some following the plan suggested to us for district 
or county selection. Oregon lias tried it and we are informed that it is 
far from successful, at least when compared to our efficient and satis- 
factory system. 



74 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

The profits made upon our high school hooks enables the eastern book 
corporations to maintain a publicity campaign and active opposition to 
any progressive and economical steps undertaken. While the propo- 
nents recognize the right of these eastern firms to conduct their business 
in this State, we believe the people of California should and will give 
their own business and welfare the first consideration. These corpora- 
tions are legitimately organized for profit, but they are not entitled to 
an excessive one. So long as they use fair methods to protect their 
interests, we have only the incentive to advance our own welfare, but we 
are often called upon to answer unfair statements and garbled reports 
used in other states. 

California spent over $80,000 for royalties in 1912, when the free 
textbook system was inaugurated, and additional amounts since. This 
figures a cost of over $4,000 for each elementary schoolbook for the one 
year. For the information of your committee, we present the following 
figures upon royalties paid for the period of the past four vears : 1912, 
$42,100.08; 1913, $55,321.72; 1914, $86,140.38; 1915, $30,188.87; total, 
$213,751.05. Deducting $10,000 for the five small writing books, we find 
we have paid $203,750 for the eighteen textbooks in the series, or an 
average of $11,319.44 in royalty for each book. If the State cannot 
readily secure high school book plates upon a fair basis, would it 
not be reasonable to pay the same or even a greater amount in securing 
our own text and our own plates ? Your attention is respectfully called 
to the advisability of direct purchase of copyrights. 

When the elementary textbooks were manufactured and sold at cost, 
a fixed price was made for the book dealer. In the handling of the 
eastern manufactured high school books, the dealer is allowed about 
twenty per cent on his sales. We can, of course, expect the retail book 
dealers to oppose state publication, as it will lessen or remove their 
profits. We believe that the high school plates can be secured at a fan- 
price, and would ask, through your committee, that this information be 
secured by the State Board of Education. The royalty amounts on the 
elementary textbooks figured as follows: 15 per cent on retail sales price 
in other states, 33 per cent on our total cost, and 60 per cent on our 
manufacturing cost. 

The proponents have made no concerted effort to obtain endorsements 
or supporl of tree or printing and sale a1 cost of high school books. 
We have and will await the recommendations of your committee. 
Neither have we attempted so far to obtain the views of the high school- 
teachers and principals. A few of the state leaders in educational 
affairs have taken such a radical position on this question, without con- 
sulting public sentiment or the arguments of economy presented by the 
proponents, thai we have, for the time, left this investigation largely 
with your committee. 

The working men and women of the State are heartily in accord with 
our efforts toward uniformity in textbooks, i'ra' distribution if feasible, 
or state production and sale at cost. The State Federation of Labor 
and other organizations representative of the working people of Cali- 
fornia, have gone on record as approving the plan proposed. 

The proponents for uniformity of high school textbooks have as yet 
made no campaign among Hie legislators nor the school-teachers, but we 
are informed that this action is being taken by the opponents. A 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 75 

number of teachers have, without solicitation, given us their opinion 
that uniform books could be adopted with benefit to the schools and the 
pupils. Unfortunately, as they stated, any activity on their part for 
uniformity would jeopardize their positions. The following letter from 
a well known educator of the south, written to the opponents of uni- 
formity, expresses, we believe, the views of many of the teachers and 
principals : 

Chairman Principals' Textbook Committee: 

Your circular to high school principals on the "question of free uniform text- 
books printed in part by the State Printing Office" will receive due attention. 

While there is a question whether high school students should be provided with 
their textbooks entirely at public expense, it is reasonably certain that parents now 
pay needlessly high prices for high school books. This morning I bought two books, 
of about the same size. One, a Spanish Grammar, cost me ninety cents (the regular 
price is a dollar) ; the other, a new book for civic classes, cost twenty cents. Why 
did one of these books cost more than four times as much as the other? The 
answer, I believe, consists chiefly in the fact that the grammar must be obtained 
from book dealers (our local dealer, by the way, getting no large profit), while the 
civic can be obtained from our State Printing Office. 

After listening to a discussion of the subject in the Fresno Teachers convention, 
and after reading the article in the Sierra Educational News, to which your letter 
refers, I still hold the opinion that the State Printing Office books will be not only 
far cheaper, but also, on the average, much better than the books now in use. For 
if our State Board of Education will seek the advice of a committee of the best 
informed men in California on a particular subject, and if such committee make 
a careful investigation of the use of the various textbooks on that subject, it is 
evident that the quality of the textbook chosen thus by the same board will be better 
than the average quality of the texts now in use, since they are chosen now by 
teachers, principals and boards throughout the State after investigations that are 
often utterly inadequate for wise choosing. 

Furthermore, the waste of time at the beginning of the year, due to difficulties in 
getting textbooks promptly into the hands of the high school pupils, in small towns 
especially, could easily be removed by state uniformity. 

While I should like to stand with the majority of high school principals, the 
welfare of the schools, as I see it, requires me to advocate uniformity and state 
printing of the textbooks in order to reduce their cost and the difficulties in getting 
them, and to improve their average quality. 

Sacramento, California, May 11, 191G. 
Committee upon Promotion of Uniform High School Books: 

Gentlemen : Replying to your request for a brief opinion on "Shall textbooks 
be uniform for the high schools of the State," I would say emphatically, yes. It 
means carrying out the excellent system now followed in the elementary schools, a 
system against which no sound argument can be brought to beai*. Those who are 
laboring the hardest in opposition to this proposed uniformity are chiefly high school 
principals who, under the present plan, can force their pupils to purchase what 
they please. They claim for themselves that they are laboring for the educational 
advantages of the boys and girls of the high schools, and that those laboring for 
uniformity are doing so for the pockets of the parents. 

Mr. Garrison, principal of the Stockton High School, in a long article published 
in the Sierra Educational News, which was no doubt very pleasing to those who 
have books to sell, stated that "boys and girls were more important than dollars 
and cents." This and similar expressions are being continually used by high school 
principals and book agents all over the State and country. In my opinion, this is 



76 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

unfair, as it is making assertions of their opinions as facts, and inferring that those 
who favor uniformity do so solely for the purpose of saving money for the pockets 
of parents, to the detriment of the education of their girls and boys of the high 
schools. This I emphatically deny. 

After thirty-four years' experience in school work, as teacher for six years, 
member of Board of Education for eight years and twenty years superintendent, one 
should have an opportunity to form an opinion. 

Mr. Garrison stated in his article that he had made the discovery that "The high 
school is pre-eminently the period of self-discovery." We have been of the opinion 
that he was the same boy who attended the grammar school — just a little more 
developed — but Mr. Garrison says that he is not, that nothing along the line of his 
grammar school plan will fit him, and uniform textbooks would not fill his needs. 
All my experience has not shown me a basis from which to reach this conclusion. 
There is one thing which I think I have learned to my own satisfaction and that 
is, that the means to be used to make one a scholar is to develop the powers of 
reason by study. It matters not what kind of textbook one may use or what kind 
of teacher he may have, he can never become a scholar unless he develops his 
reasoning powers by study. 

There are now a number of good high school books in use, without a doubt. I have 
been informed that the State Board of Education has signified five as the minimum 
number from which the high schools of the State can select. Perhaps the merits 
are about equal upon the whole; then why could they not go a step farther and 
select one as the best for all? 

Many of the advocates of the go-as-you-please plan claim that different schools 
and different localities require different textbooks. This is a dream. The city high 
schools and the rural high school can and should use the same textbooks. The book 
should be complete, and if it should have anything in it that could not be understood 
without assistance that was not at hand in the rural school, it could be omitted ; 
that is all there is to that. 

This claim that there should be a different book for different high schools reminds 
me of the man who cut a large hole in his fence to let his dog pass through and a 
small hole for his cat to pass through. I have read a number of articles denouncing 
the uniform high school textbook plan and favoring the present go-as-you-please 
plan, and it appeals to me make-shift argument; possibly the best that can be offered 
in behalf of the scrambled scheme of high school textbooks. 



Answering the main points of contention, brought out in brief sub- 
mitted by opponents to uniformity, we submit the following: 

The question before your committee is that of superior education and 
textbook economy, rather than education versus economy. 

We believe that the burden of proof rests equally upon the pro- 
ponents and opponents, as the State lias proven its ability in the past 
to publish textbooks at a considerable saving to the people and to the 
State. The proponents are advocating the reasonable uniformity in all 
textbooks, and state printing, if the work can be handled more econom- 
ically than by outside purchase. 

While (he stalenietil is made that uniformity would react to the 
disadvantage el' the high school system, and thai it would not be 
feasible, we believe Hint Hie burden of proof should be assumed by the 
opponents and a plain statement given your committee why at least 
1 he standard subjects can not be made uniform and taught from 
the same books throughout the State. We agree with the teachers 
that educational progress in this Slate is of greater moment than 
the economy of a Few dollars, but when uniformity means a lessen- 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 77 

ing of the whims or arbitrary selection of books by the individual 
teacher, principal, or school board and county superintendent, the ques- 
tion of the reducing of the costs should be given careful consideration. 
If we agree that a standardization of books upon certain subjects will 
affect the educational system, Ave clo not believe that it will materially, 
or in any sense detrimentally, affect the efficiency and development of 
the high school system. We are pleased to learn from the oral argument 
presented by the opponents and by their brief submitted, that they are 
in favor of free textbooks for the high schools of the State. We are 
rather inclined at this time to submit the question: In their indorse- 
ment of free books for the high schools, why have the opponents left this 
proposal and propaganda to the printers and the working people of the 
State ? And in the reduction in the list of superfluous texts why have 
not the teachers been in the vanguard ? Arguments have been used in 
the East against the State Printing Office and its publication of elemen- 
tary school books which could not be given general publication here. We 
have been advised, at different times, of articles appearing in school 
publications, purporting to be legislative and public criticism of the 
conduct of the State Printing Office, but which, in reality, applied only 
to the regime of five years ago. Some of these articles appeared in the 
Western Journal of Education, but, so far, we have heard no reply by 
the school fraternity of this State to the scurrilous articles in their own 
magazine. Answers to these untruthful statements, by the state printer, 
have been refused publication. 

The recommendation has been made to your committee, by a repre- 
sentative of the opponents to uniformity, that your committee recom- 
mend to the legislature a measure providing free textbooks for 
the high schools of this State. Undoubtedly, a considerable sum can be 
saved to the districts, school, and pupil, by large purchases, and we most 
heartily advocate this plan as one feature of progress in supplying books 
to the children. Your committee can readily see how uniformity 
would also benefit in this instance, for undoubtedly the less variety and 
number of books, the greater economy in the purchase. It is presumed 
that under such a system books for all sections of the State contain- 
ing the same text would be purchased at one time. This is, at least, a 
great forward step in uniform buying, if not in uniform texts. The 
assertion is made that the average amount expended by each pupil for 
textbooks is, approximately, $6 per year, or $24 for the course. Our 
former figures were based upon a cost of $30 for the four years, but 
later investigation leads us to believe that it is much greater. In Sacra- 
mento, a fair example between the larger and the smaller sections, a cost 
is shown upon textbooks, without including the reference books, small 
minor texts and blanks, of the sum of $40. The opponents, while advo- 
cating free textbooks in the high schools, state in their brief that the 
cost thereof should be borne by the districts rather than the State as a 
whole, and that several districts are now successfully following this plan 
at a considerable aggregate saving. The difference of opinion on this 
point between the proponents and opponents seems to be the selection 
by the district versus that of by the State. We submit the argument 
that if a small district and its teachers are capable of selecting standard 
books for those pupils in that vicinity, the State Board of Education, or 



78 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

a similar centralized body, is far more capable of making the selection 

for the whole Stale. 

The opponents make the plea that the individuality of the child must 
be considered, and the necessary books selected. We submit the argu- 
ment that if any standardization is observed, even within one classroom, 
the teacher can not select a book fitting that class as well as the State 
Board of Education can select the books for the separate schools. 

The argument is also made that books must vary in the different 
sections of the State, and that a variance must be observed between the 
agricultural, industrial, mining and horticultural sections. We can not 
see that there can be any difference, even in districts of widely- 
varied industries, between the standard subjects and textbooks upon 
Mathematics, English, History, Science, Commercial Course and the 
foreign languages, or even upon the minor or selective subjects. 

Uniformity and standardization are the rule today in almost every 
line of industry ; not alone in the consideration of economy, but progress 
in this modern period has shown the advisability of selecting the known 
best. If experiments are necessary in the high school system of the 
State, would it not be more feasible and more just to conduct these 
on a smaller scale than throughout the whole State? The one great 
question to he settled by the school faculties of California and by our 
State Board of Education, is, who is best fitted for this work — our lead- 
ing educators or the teachers of those smaller counties and sections 
where progress has not made such rapid strides? 

The opponents have gone to some extent to convince you that certain 
books printed in large editions would last an indefinite time. We 
partially agree with them and would not propose to print a book and 
attempt to force its use for a period longer than good judgment would 
dictate. However, in the illustration used, we would be pleased to learn 
how Homer's Iliad has been changed in the last twelve or even twenty 
years. 

The proponents do not advocate, nor have they submitted, any argu- 
ment in advocating a rigid uniformity on all texts in the high schools. 
We believe that progress will best be continued by allowing some lati- 
tude, but Ave are most emphatic in stating our position against indis- 
criminate and boundless latitude. Individual teaching of the child is 
desirable, we believe, but is it feasible in our common school system? 
Is not the same variety of intelligence and adaptability observable in 
a class in Del Norte as in a class in San Diego? Where special con- 
ditions arise and have to be met, and where the needs of special classes 
have to be considered, particularly in industrial centers and night 
schools, we see no objection to the selection of special texts. 

We have submitted the argument that in uniformity not only could a 
great financial saving be made to the State and a needless expenditure 
saved 1o the pupil who transfers from one locality to another, and must 
necessarily buy a new set of books, but a saving of time and energy 
would also be accomplished in not forcing the student to take up new 
books. It is argued that this moving factor is small in number, but we 
submit the fact that were the studies and text of greater uniformity, it 
would not be necessary for a pupil desiring to enter a university to take 
a rigid examination. 

We believe that even this small moving element should be given your 
consideration. Based upon the book-costs in Sacramento, were the 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



79 



pupil compelled to purchase new texts for the year, it would amount as 
follows : 



English Mathematics History Science French German 



First year 
Second year 
Third year _. 
Fourth year 



$3 20 


$1 00 




$1 00 


$1 40 


2 50 


80 


$1 50 


1 30 


2 05 


2 65 


1 40 


1 50 


5 60 


2 95 


4 85 


75 


3 75 


1 25 


1 15 



$1 85 
3 65 

2 10 

2 55 



First year _ 
Second year 
Third year . 
Fourth year 



Latin 

$1 00 
3 05 

3 05 

4 20 



Spanish Greek 

$1 25 j 

! $1 50 

.____! 3 00 

1 50 



Domestic Music Commercial 
Science 

$1 10 
1 10 



$1 10 


$7 20 


1 10 


2 20 


1 10 


6 10 


1 10 









Assuming that the pupil takes up but the subjects of English, Mathe- 
matics, History, Science and German, the costs for each year's books 
would be: first, $6.55; second, $9.75; third, $13.25, and fourth, $13.15. 
If only two per cent of the pupils are compelled to change books on 
account of a change of residence, the cost for the first grade alone would 
be approximately $5,000 ; an unwarranted expense, we believe. 

The claim is made that the high school and its course of study is 
entirely different from that of the elementary school, and that while 
uniformity of textbooks is good in the lower school, such a system could 
not be used in the higher. Claims are also made that we are dealing 
with almost a new boy or girl, but we fail to see it, or to note as great 
a difference between the higher grades of the elementary school and the 
first grades of the high school as there is between the first and last 
grades in the elementary school itself. 

The argument is made that uniformity of text in the high schools is 
not as feasible as it is in the elementary schools, because the high school 
and its progress is of comparatively recent origin. We submit the 
question that, because it took a great many years to arrive at our present 
satisfactory textbook system, should it, in these modern times and age, 
be necessary to follow the same delay in inaugurating this progressive 
movement in our high schools? 

The argument that high schools have made a phenomenal growth in 
the past decade is also an argument that where it may be feasible to 
print but a few of the standard books at this time, yet the rapid growth 
will mean a greater number of such books which can be printed later 
although not feasible at present. 

We do not argue that all the books in the high school system can be 
printed economically at this time within the State. There are some of 
which so small a number are used that this would not be feasible. The 
question of what would prove an economical production is only one of 
where the State can print the book for the same, less, or at a considerable 
reduction under the amounts now charged. It would not be good policy 
for the State Printing Office, or those advocating state printing, to 
recommend the printing of any books which could not be more economi- 
cally handled here than elsewhere. 



80 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



Even under the presenl system without any degree of uniformity, 
we find thai a considerable saving can be made, and respectfully call 
your attention to the accompanying figures : 



State Printing Office 



5.000 10.000 



{•Composition 



5.000 10.000 



English ! ifl 10 

Civiea . l 25 

1 00 
1 00 
1 00 
1 40 
80 
75 



Science 

Economics 

Algebra, e'-cmentary 

Algebra, advanced 

Geometry, plane 

Geometry, solid 

Bookkeeping 1 40 

Spanish Grammar l 25 



l oo 



1 12 
64 



1 12 
1 00 



$11,000 
12,500 
10,000 
10,000 
10,000 
14,000 
8,000 
7, "On 
14,000 
12,500 



$2,000 

2,300 
1,800 
1,900 
1,800 
2,600 
1,600 
1,400 
2,500 
2,100 



$3,900 
4,500 
3,500 
3,700 
3,500 
5,000 
3,000 
2,800 
4,800 
4,000 



$1,400 
1,600 
1,300 
1,600 
1,500 
2,200 
1,400 
1,100 
2,100 
1,400 



100 
500 
,000 
,200 

100 
300 
,000 

700 

ooo 

,100 



$0 39 
J5 
35 
37 
35 
50 
30 
28 
48 
40 



$7,100 
8,000 
6,500 
6,300 
6,500 
9,000 
5,000 
4,700 
9,200 
8,500 

$70,800 



*Based on 25 per eer.t royalty on wholesale price of books; included. 
tCoruposition figures less; possible if copyrights are purchased. 

The above are but a few of the high school books, including only the 
principal subjects. 

The argument is made that the elementary school books are printed 
in editions of 25,000 or more, and this would be impossible with the high 
school books. This is a question of economy in production, and if the 
books can be successfully printed in 5.000 lots, or even less, there can be 
no argument upon this point. The proponents ask your committee to 
consider the advisability of printing those books which can, at present, 
be printed economically, and which can be included under a more 
uniform system, and that some recommendation be made for the whole- 
sale purchase of those books whose limited number does not make 
economical state production possible at this time. 

We believe that your committee could recommend the home manu- 
facture of such books as it is possible to print economically, and that 
the matter of free textbooks be considered from a separate angle. We 
ask you to consider the subject under discussion from the viewpoint of 
the common people of the State and the taxpayers, rather than that of 
the school teachers or of the allied printing industries. We believe that 
the interests of the people as a whole should be considered rather than 
the arguments of the teachers for a possibly satisfactory present system, 
or of the printers of the State and their pleas for home production. 

The matter of state authorship is one which will need careful consid- 
eration, and should be taken up at a later period. We have been 
informed thai the California authors' work may be popular in the east, 
while eastern authors' books are sought in California, yet this is a 
subject that we do not feel competent to advise you upon now. The 
opponents have stated that the \'ery extensive list of books used a couple 
of years ago, and the latter extensive list in use at the present time, can 
be reduced to five on each subject. We must submit the argument that 
if the former ten or twenty books on each subject can be reduced to 
five, it can be further reduced to a lesser number. 



REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 81 

It is claimed by some that the vast number of selective books is neces- 
sary for experimentation in growth and progress. Bnt the advocates 
of a standardized system claim this extravagant plan is unnecessary. 
It may be true that additional books, other than a standard set, may be 
advisable for trial, but it does not seem just to the students of our high 
schools to double the cost of their books to accomplish this end. If we 
may use the following illustration, we present it as a parallel: In 
building the state highway, the subcontractor in small stretches of 
highway was not allowed to use his individual judgment as to material, 
but it was designated by the central administration. Where experi- 
ment was deemed advisable, a small section was selected under the 
supervision of the department. We believe, if it is advisable to try 
experiments in books, the State Board of Education should be qualified 
to make such trials to a limited extent in certain schools for comparison. 
Has the local authority, vested with the selection of the books for a 
school or class, the opportunity of judging between all the available 
texts, and if so, how are all the various published books obtained by 
these teachers? 

Naturally, every teacher, principal, city or county board, striving 
for what they themselves deem best, wish to use their individual judg- 
ment or opinion. This, no doubt, would be feasible did the results 
justify the means, and were it not the means of doubling our textbook 
costs. No well-conducted business would allow subordinates such 
individual action, and no other department of state is so conducted. 
With all due respect to our splendid force of teachers in this State, who, 
however, gave no assistance in the promotion of the present textbook 
system and who have offered no aid in the proposed plan, the needs of 
students and the expense to their parents should be paramount. 

We have not yet heard an argument against the proposed "home 
production in school books" that can not be readily answered. The 
eastern book publishers, in their efforts to discredit our present com- 
mon school book system, and the adding of high school books, used and 
are using many subterfuges. They have employed journalists and 
others in this state to discountenance the State Department of Printing, 
and have flooded other states with statements that they would not dare 
to employ here. 

The proponents of the present agitation for uniformity and economy 
in high school textbooks have proposed this in good faith. If they can 
be shown that a standardized system of books is not for the best interests 
of the school children they will not further advance it. If they can be 
shown why a student in Del Norte should be taught from an entirely 
different set of books from one in San Diego, or why schools in neighbor- 
ing districts should have the same dissimilarity, making it necessary to 
buy new books on every change of residence, we believe the taxpayers 
of the State should know the reason. 

While the proponents of the measure before you may be mistaken 
in some of their arguments presented, yet Ave contend that on the whole 
it has been based upon common sense and good judgment, and one in 
which the people of the State are surely interested and approve. If, 
in your judgment, and in your recommendations to the legislature, you 
do not deem it wise to recommend all that has been proposed by the 
proponents, we believe the people of the State have secured and will 
derive much benefit from the consideration of the question before you. 

6—27503 



82 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

The adoption by the state of horn.' production and eeonomy in print- 
ing its elementary school books, and its recent adoption of the free text- 
book plan, took considerable educational work and many years to accom- 
plish. We can hardly believe that a similar plan for the high schools 
will be delayed the same length of time, yet we realize that it is a mat- 
ter of evolution, and when the alleged insurmountable obstacles can be 
removed, if will mean, as we believe it, a better system in the high 
schools of the State. 

Like the textbook question in the common schools, a few years ago, 
when the people of California fully realize what economical maim 
facture and distribution means, they will also demand that the high 
school books be included in the same system, and at least sold at cost 
(at half the present prices) until such time as the state can include 
them under the same free distribution plan. 



Xo doubt your committee has read the Superintendent of Public 
Instruction's report upon "History of the California Textbook Plan," 
and noted some of the points brought out. We submit several extracts 
which may have some bearing upon the question before you : 

Much scandal had gathered about the supply of the public schools with textbooks 
(in 1884, before state publication was adopted), so many charges of corruption 
alleged to have been done by the book houses among school officers and school boards, 
that many would be satisfied with textbooks published (by the state) at more 
expense. But the cost has been one of the most gratifying things about the 
enterprise. 

Every teacher preferred to use some favorite textbooks, that he had been 
brought up on, perhaps, and to be obliged to give these up for something else again 
caused loud verbal explosions on every hand. There were hundreds of book dealers 
in the State who were cut out of the profits of retailing books, and they were fre- 
quently heard from. The great publishing houses had agents circulating in every 
part of the laud, whoso religion it was to everlastingly damn the whole idea of 
stale publication. 

The leading educators almost universally followed suit. Institutes, clubs and 
associations condemned it. No educational gathering was complete that did not 
take a fall out of the state textbooks. Never did anyone have a good word to say 
for them in public. They were an impersonal sort of thing, like the weather, that 
any one could criticize and abuse without fear of unpleasant consequences. Doubt- 
less, at this time, any books whatever that could have been printed by the state 
would have met the same fate. Yet it is worth remarking that the people of tin- 
State who do the voting have never failed to uphold the California plan by over- 
whelming majorities whenever an opportunity has come to them, even down to 
present date. 

The committee (textbook committee at time of inauguration of State printed 
books) went to work enthusiastically, but had difficulty at first in getting the 
publishers to lease the plates of their successful books. * * * Public clamor 
againsl graft died down; the book companies were ameliorated; the teachers had 

the same books as oilier people; the dealers bad accepted the situation. 

In bis report to the Governor in 1888, State Superintendent of Schools Ira 
<I. lloitl said: "The State of California lias taken a step in the right direction in 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 83 

furnishing books of its own manufacture to the children at cost. It should, in my 
opinion, go one step further and furnish the use of textbooks to all children attending 
the public schools." 

The Superintendent of Public Instruction stated recently : "Certainly the state 
would not recede from or give up its textbook system under any circumstances. It is 
running more smoothly, giving more general satisfaction, and meeting with less 
opposition than ever before in its history. The teachers find great comfort iu 
being relieved of the task of badgering the children to buy books and in being able, 
for the most part, to start their classes all together and fully equipped ou the first 
day of the term." 



84: REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



Exhibit G. 

STATE UNIFORMITY AND STATE PUBLICATION OF HIGH 
SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS. 

[The accompanying brief and arguments are submitted by the joint committee, 
representating various educational interests of the state, in answer to the advocates 
Of state uniformity and state publication of high school textbooks. 

Important issues raised relate to the comparative actual cost of state published 
books and those purchased in open market ; the plan of furnishing' books free by the 
school district; who were the early advocates of free textbooks; educational leadership 
in the state us state uniformity and state publication of elementary texts; advantages 
of freedom in selection of books to meet the needs of different localities, and like 
significant issues.] 



ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS. 

PROPONENTS MIS-STATE REASONS FOR TEACHERS ' OPPOSITION. 

In the brief and arguments which we submitted at Los Angeles and 
San Francisco we did not question in any manner the sincerity of the 
proponents in urging state uniformity of high school textbooks. We 
had hoped that in these discussions our own sincerity would be respected 
in like manner. We have stated clearly and forcefully that we repre- 
sent the educational interests of the high school pupils of California; 
that our sole aim is to preserve the efficiency of the high schools of the 
state and prevent any action which will tend to render high school 
instruction less practical. We must, therefore, challenge the statement 
that the majority of the teaching profession are opposing state uni- 
formity because of a "desire for an unlimited number of selective 
texts." To intimate that the great majority of teachers are actuated 
by such a motive, or by any motive other than the conservation of what 
we earnestly believe to be the best educational interests of California, 
is an unwarranted reflection on the sincerity of the great body of 
teaehers of this state. 

SARCASM WORSE THAN FUTILE. 

We must also challenge the sarcastic reference to the attitude of the 
teachers in advocating free high school textbooks. "Sarcasm," say the 
proponents, "is fulih in argument, but w< are inclined to submit the 
Question: With their indorsement of fret hxtbooks for high schools, 
why hurt the opponents left this proposal and propaganda to the 
printers and the working p< <>pl< of the state?" In reply we have only 
to quote a report of the California Council of Education, in which a 
system of free textbooks Tor California schools was advocated by the 
teachers as early as 1902. (Sec Exhibit A.) 

The teachers of California have not as the proponents affirm, been 
slow to show "consideration of our taxpayers' burden." On the con- 
trary, they were the first to advocate free textbooks for the schools of 



EEPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 85 

the state. In the light of this fact we shall concede that the sarcasm of 
the proponents concerning our advocacy of free textbooks is indeed 
futile, as they have suggested. 

REAL REASON FOR CALIFORNIA'S LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION. 

It is very gratifying to note the caption on the proponents' brief — 
"California a leader in education." Our state is, indeed, one of the 
most progressive of all the American commonwealths, thanks to that 
very body of teachers whose "good judgment and consideration of the 
taxpayers' burden" is questioned by the proponents of state uniformity. 
The proponents would have you believe that this leadership is due to 
the system of state uniformity and state publication of elementary 
school textbooks. We wish to point out that the only general estimate 
of the efficiency of school systems in the United States is that published 
in 1912 by the Russell Sage Foundation. In that estimate the high 
schools of California, working under a textbook system which the pro- 
ponents have denounced, were second in rank, while the elementary 
schools, working under a textbook system which the proponents consider 
ideal were fourth in rank. We would also point out that every one of 
the twelve states at the bottom of the list have state uniformity of high 
school textbooks, while none of the twelve states at the top of the list 
had state uniformity of high school textbooks at the time the report was 
compiled. Surely the proponents erred in offering California's leader- 
ship in education as an argument for state uniformity. 

UNIFORMITY MEANS A STRAIT- JACKET. 

While it is quite beside the question to discuss the use of supplemental 
books in the elementary schools, and the alleged attempt to substitute 
supplemental books published by Eastern publishing houses for the 
state-printed textbooks, we can not refrain from suggesting that the laws 
of California give the proponents a ready and efficacious remedy for any 
violation of the textbook law. While the question raised has no direct 
bearing on the matter under discussion, we must solemnly protest against 
the sweeping allegation of wrong-doing on the part of our co-workers in 
education, the elementary school teachers of California. We would 
respectfully suggest, also, that this statement concerning the use of sup- 
plemental material in the elementary schools represents fairly the atti- 
tude the proponents would assume under a plan of state uniformity for 
high schools. They would deny the right of the high school to use sup- 
plemental material. They would insist upon absolute uniformity in the 
instruction offered in the high schools of the state. This argument 
offered by the proponents only confirms us in the belief that the pro- 
ponents are preparing for the high schools of California a strait- jacket 



86 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

which will check our efforts to adapt education to the needs of the stu- 
dents and to make our instruction practical. 

TEXTBOOK PROBLEMS OF HIGH AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS DIFFER GREATLY. 

In an effort to discount the substantial arguments against state uni- 
formity presented by the opponents at Los Angeles and San Francisco, 
the proponents state that the same arguments were used when books for 
grammar grades were first considered. In our first brief we pointed out 
clearly and specifically the difference between the elementary and high 
school situations. * * * 

AN ANALYSIS OF THE ANONYMOUS LETTERS. 

The proponents have submitted tw T o letters written by California 
high school teachers in advocacy of state uniformity. It will be 
noted, however, that the censor has deleted the names of the teachers, 
who are fearful that publication of their names would jeopardize their 
positions. Waiving discussion of the alleged Peign of Terror among the 
high school teachers of California because the absurdity of the allega- 
tion is so patent, we shall analyze some of the statements made by these 
two people. 

First of all, we would have you note the statement on page 10 of the 
proponents' brief that "the proponents for uniformity of high school 
textbooks have as yet made no campaign among the legislators nor lln 
school teachers, hut wt are informed thai this action is being taken />.// 
the opponents. A number of teachers have without solicitation 
given as their opinion that uniform hooks could he adopted with benefit 
to tin schools and tin pupils. * * * The following letter from a well- 
known educator of the south, written to tin opponents of uniformity, 
expresses, wt l>< li< vt . //" views of main/ of tin teachers and principals.'' 
Then follow the two letters. 

Recalling that these letters were written without solicitation, we are 
at a loss to understand why the second letter addressed to the Commit- 
tee upon Promotion of Uniform High School Hooks should begin as 
follows: "Replying to your request for an opinion on 'Shall textbooks 
be uniform for lln high schools of lln statt .'' I would say emphatically, 
yes." As an unsolicited letter, it is indeed remarkable. 

The first Unknown Principal has undertaken to compare the cost of 
a Spanish grammar published by a hook company, with a little booklet 
containing the federal and state constitutions, published by the state 
prinl ing office. He stales that he was surprised to find that the Spanish 
grammar cost !)() cents, while the book in civics cost only 20 cents, lie 
forgol to take into account the fact that the authors of Magna Charta 
and the two constitutions made no charge for their services in compiling 
the material published in the book in civics, while the author of the 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 87 

Spanish grammar, realizing that he must eat, had demanded a certain 
royalty. Moreover, he did not know that the plates of the book in 
civics were made for the Legislative Counsel Bureau; that they were 
paid for by that bureau; and that the State Board of Education sold 
the book to the high schools for the actual cost of printing and binding. 

COST OP TEXTBOOKS UNDER PRESENT SYSTEM. 

The proponents have laid great stress upon the cost of high school 
textbooks under the present system and have challenged the estimate of 
$6 for each pupil as the average annual cost of high school textbooks 
in this state. On page 14 of their brief they give what purports to be 
a statement of textbook costs in the city of Sacramento. The cost for 
textbooks in Sacramento for the first year, according to these figures, 
is $6.55; for the second year $9.75; for the third year $13.25; and 
for the fourth year $13.15. These figures, we have been assured, are 
authentic, since they were secured through a high school pupil. As- 
suming that the most reliable figures could be secured through the office 
of the principal of the Sacramento High School, we asked for and 
obtained a statement, showing that the average cost was $7.21 per pupil, 
including all the necessary bookkeeping forms, which are not textbooks 
in the ordinary sense. The original statement of the principal of 
Sacramento High School is submitted to the committee for its con- 
sideration. (Exhibit B.) 

Realizing the danger of basing a conclusion on insufficient data, we 
obtained statements from seven high school principals concerning the 
cost of high school textbooks. Each statement is signed by the prin- 
cipal of the school concerned and all of the originals are submitted for 
the consideration of your committee. (Exhibit C.) 

Following is a synopsis of these statements : 

Average 
Range of cost annual cost 

San Diego , $5 25— 8 05 $6 78 

Santa Ana Q 79 

Auburn 4 31 

Red Bluff 6 86 

San Jose 4 19—10 61 7 40 

Chaffey Union 3 90 

Gilroy 6 00 

$42 04 
Average $6 01 

These figures are based on the theory that each pupil has purchased 
a new book in each subject. The principals estimate that the figures 
should be reduced by 25 per cent at least on account of the use of 
second-hand copies. This would make the average amount expended 
annually about $4.50 for each pupil. 



88 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

COST OF TEXTBOOKS FURNISHED FREE BY DISTRICT. 

In the first brief which we submitted to your committee we pointed 
out the desirability of maintaining the present plan of adoption by the 
district from a state list, and suggested that books so adopted should be 
purchased by the district and furnished free to the pupils. We called 
attention to the fact that districts could avail themselves of the discount 
of 20 to 25 per cent which is invariably allowed by the publishers where 
books are bought in quantity. We maintain that this is not only the 
best arrangement from the educational standpoint, but that it is more 
economical than the plan put forth by the proponents. Fortunately, we 
have figures showing the cost under the plan which we have proposed. 

San Mateo has been supplying textbooks free to the pupils of the high 
school, paying for them out of district funds. The cost for each pupil 
enrolled last year was $3.16. Books have been ordered for next year, 
and the cost thereof for each pupil enrolled is $1.72. It is probable, 
however, that the average cost for each pupil enrolled will amount to 
approximately $2.50 each year. We are tiling with your committee the 
original data supplied by the principal of San Mateo Union High School. 
(Exhibit D.) We submit this plan, which will secure a saving of 
approximately 50 per cent in the cost of books, as far more worthy of 
your recommendation than the plan offered by the proponents. The 
plan we suggest will conserve the interests of the parents and taxpayers ; 
it will render high school education free, and will maintain for the high 
schools that degree of freedom which is- essential if they are to do suc- 
cessful work. As against the plan of the proponents, which is destruc- 
tive, educationally wrong and economically hazardous, we offer you a 
plan which is constructive, educationally right and economically sound. 

ESTIMATES THAT DO NOT CHECK WITH ACTUAL FIGURES. 

On page 15 of their brief the proponents of state uniformity present 
figures purporting to show what the state printing office can save by 
printing high school textbooks in the more common branches. These 
figures are so remarkable that we have given them more than cursory 
consideration. The proponents state that they can save $7,100 on the 
publishers' list price of $11,000 for an edition of 10,000 books in English. 
You will note that the estimated cost of this edition is $3,900, including 
an allowance of 25 per cent of the list price for royalty. The royalty 
on this edition, based on 25 per cent of the list price, would amount to 
$2,750, leaving only $1,150 for the manufacturing cost. This is just 
11^ cents per volume. Now every English book listed at $1.10 in use 
in the high schools of this state contains approximately as many pages 
as the Brief History of the United States, published as a state series 
text for use in the elementary schools. The manufacturing cost of this 



EEPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 89 

book, according to the proponents' own figures (page 2 of their brief), 
is 21.1 cents. We would request that the proponents explain this glar- 
ing discrepancy. Is the manufacturing cost of the Brief History too 
great? Or have the proponents suddenly discovered a labor-saving 
process that will cut the manufacturing cost of textbooks in two? We 
believe that the real explanation is that the figures given on page 15 are 
a product of the crudest guesswork. 

A little further analysis shows that they are most unreliable. For 
every one of the ten books listed, the proponents claim a saving of 65 
per cent on the list price. We ask you to compare this claim with the 
statement in the proponents' brief (page 4) that the saving through 
state publication of elementary school books is 52 per cent. Will the 
proponents explain how they will be able to save 13 per cent more in 
publishing high school textbooks than they are now saving in publishing 
elementary school textbooks? The utter absurdity of this claim is 
apparent when we recall that the number of copies of each high school 
textbook required annually will be about one-tenth of the number of 
each of the state series of elementary textbooks required. 

HAS THE PLAN OF STATE UNIFORMITY IN CALIFORNIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 

BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL THAT IT SHOULD BE EXTENDED 

TO HIGH SCHOOLS? 

The proponents base their chief argument for state uniformity of 
high school textbooks on the success of state uniformity and state publi- 
cation in the elementary schools. To show the success of the plan, they 
submit certain statistics which we will accept as a basis for this discus- 
sion. The claim is made that the state printing office is saving the 
people of California $224,893.87 per annum. The basis for reckoning 
the saving is the publisher's list price. We wish to point out, however, 
that in other states where state uniformity of elementary school text- 
books prevails, the books are furnished by the publishers at a discount 
of 25 per cent on the list price. (See U. S. Bureau of Education 
Bulletin, 1915, No. 36, page 66.) If California were to purchase its 
books directly from the publishers, it could secure a discount of 25 per 
cent on the publishers' list price. We must, therefore, deduct from the 
amount of saving claimed by the proponents an amount computed at 
25 per cent of the list price, or $116,636.62. This reduces the saving 
under state publication to $108,257.25. 

We can not refrain from pointing out that previous to Governor 
Johnson 's term the apparent annual saving on elementary school books, 
after deducting 25 per cent as discount, was only $6,797.11. These 
figures are computed on the basis of data supplied by the proponents in 
their brief, so they can not be questioned. Moreover these figures were 
made when the cost of manufacture was much less than it is to-day. In 



90 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



the circumstances, we can not concede that state publication of elemen- 
tary school textbooks was successful previous to Governor Johnson's 
term, and we can not concede that it will be successful in the future 
unless we assume that the improvement in the state printing office under 
Governor Johnson's administration is permanent. We submit that state 
uniformity and state publication of elementary school books has not 
been so markedly successful as to justify the extension of the principle 
of state publication to high school textbooks. 



RATIO OP ROYALTY TO TOTAL COST. 

On page 15 of the brief filed by the proponents there appears a list of 
the high school books which they claim can be printed at the state print- 
ing office at a saving to the state. A careful study of the table and of 
data we have collected will show that these books will cost considerably 
more under state publication than under our suggested plan. 

On page 9 of the proponents' brief you will find this statement: 
"The royalty amounts on elementary textbooks figured as follows: 
15 per cent on retail sales price in oilier states, 33 per cent on our total 
cost, and 60 per cent on our manufacturing cost." 



Boyatty 



Manu- 
facturing 
cost 



Per cent of 
royalty on 
total cost 



Number 
distributed, 

1915-1916 



Primer 

First Reader 

Second Reader 

Third Reader 

Fourth Reader 

Fifth Reader 

Speller One 

Speller Two 

First Arithmetic 

Advanced Arithmetic 

English Lessons I 

English Lessons II 

Introductory History 

Brief History 

Introductory Geography 

Advanced Geography 

Primer of Hygiene 

Civics 



$0,048 
.048 
.0525 
.06 
.09 
.09 
.025 
.03 
.0525 
.09 
.0675 
.09 
.15 
.15 
.09 
.15 
.06 
.125 



Average 



$0,085 
.078 
.093 
.113 
.128 
.129 
.103 
.101 
.104 
.123 
.139 
.146 
.142 
.211 
.203 
.349 
.106 
.168 



M33 

.126 

.1455 

.173 

.218 

.219 

.128 

.131 

.1565 

.213 

.2065 

.236 

.292 

.361 

.293 

.499 

.166 

.293 



36% 
38% 
36% 
34% 
41% 
41% 
19% 
23% 
33% 
42% 
32% 
38% 
51% 
41% 
31% 
30% 
35% 
43% 

35% 



17,169 
15,096 
17,364 
12,485 
11,069 
10,691 
31,785 
20,446 
29,225 
23,926 
16,097 
16,878 
10,848 
16,796 
21,251 
23,910 
11,985 
9,722 



The table above shows the per eenl of royalty on the total cost of each 
hook and the number of each book distributed in 1915-16. 

We would have you note especially that the total cost in mosl 
instances is three times the royalty COSt, as the proponents have stated. 

The average is about 35 per cent. We are justified in assuming, there- 
fore, that ttic ratio of one-third between royalty and total cost is a 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



91 



reasonably constant one. We shall apply this ratio in a later paragraph 
in estimating the cost of those high school textbooks which the pro- 
ponents purpose publishing. 



PROBABLE ROYALTY COST. 

In our first brief we stated that it would probably be impossible for 
the state to secure the lease of plates to be used in publishing high 
school textbooks. The proponents suggested (page 9 of their brief) 
that information on this point be secured. Our correspondence with 
publishers confirms our belief. Even assuming that plates can be 
leased, we pointed out in our former statement that the royalty would 
be exorbitant on account of the small number of each book needed to 
meet California demands. The proponents have admitted that the 
royalty on plates for high school books will be higher than the royalty 
on elementary school books. (See page 15 of their brief.) They 
estimate royalty on high school books at 25 per cent, although the state 
is paying only 15 per cent royalty on elementary school books. The 
experience of Kansas in attempting to lease plates for high school books 
warrants the conclusion that if any bids for acceptable books are 
received, the royalty will be at least 30 per cent of the list price. (See 
United States Bureau of Education Bulletin, 1915, No. 36, page 66.) 

Assuming, however, that the royalty charge will be 30 per cent, and 
the total cost under state publication will be three times the royalty, 
as the proponents have stated in their brief (page 9), the cost of an 
edition of 10,000 copies of each of the books mentioned on page 15 of 
the proponents ' brief would be as follows : 



(i) 

Royalty 



(2) 

Total cost 
per copy 



(3) 

Wholesale 
price per 
copy from 
publisher 



Total cost 
for 10.000, 
state man- 
ufacture 



Price for 
10.000 

wholesale 
from 

publisher 



English 

Civics 

Science 

Economics 

Algebra (Elementary) 
Algebra (Advanced) _. 

Geometry (Plane) 

Geometry (Solid) 

Bookkeeping 

Spanish Grammar 



Totals 



.33 


$0.99 


$0.88 


$9,900 


.374 


1.12J 


1.00 


11,250 


.30 


.90 


.80 


9,000 


.30 


.90 


.80 


9,000 


.30 


.90 


.80 


9,000 


.42 


1.26 


1.12 


12,600 


.24 


.72 


.64 


7,200 


.221 


.674 


.60 


6,750 


.42 


1.26 


1.12 


12,600 


.374 


1.124 


1.00 


11,250 




$98,550 









$8,800 

10,000 

8,000 

8,000 

8,000 

11,200 

6,400 

6,000 

11.200 

10,000 



$87,600 



(1) The royalty is computed at 30 per cent of the publishers' list price. 

(2) To find the total cost per copy, multiply the royalty by 3. (The proponents in 
their brief [page 9] state that the royalty on elementary school books amounts to 33 
per cent of the total cost.) 

(3) Found by deducting 20 per cent from the publishers' list price. 



92 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

LOSS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS UNDER STATE PUBLICATION. 

It will be noted that the loss sustained by the state on an edition of 
10,000 copies of each book would be $10,950. To this must be added 
the cost of making the adoptions. The experience of the State Board 
of Education in adopting boohs for the elementary schools proves that 
the cost of adopting books is no small item. The commissioners and 
expert readers must carefully investigate the books submitted and the 
board must sit to hear arguments by the publishers' agents on the 
merits of the books. Under the present system the public does not 
incur any expense for adopting high school books. 

The cost of adopting one elementary textbook is approximately as 
follows : 

Cost of Adopting Book. 

Per diem of seven members of State Board of Education, two days 
at $15 each .$210 00 

Expenses of seven members of State Board of Education, two days 
at $5 each 70 00 

Thirty days time of Commissioner of Secondary Schools, investi- 
gating book, preparing brief, etc 333 00 

Five expert readers to investigate book, at $25 125 00 

Clerical assistance in handling extra work 25 00 

Total cost per book_ $763 00 

For the ten books included in the table we must therefore add $7,630 
to the cost, making the total loss to the state through state publication 
$18,580. Taking the publishers' wholesale price as a basis, we find that 
the cost of these ten books under state publication will be at least 
21 per cent greater. If state publication of other books recpiiring 
smaller editions were undertaken, the loss to the state would be at least 
$50,000 annually. This is assuming that a state printed book would be 
equally well printed and bound and the materials used of quality such 
that it would last as long as the one purchased in open market. From 
an economic standpoint, therefore, state publication of high school 
textbooks is out of the question. 

SMALL ENROLLMENT, LONG USE, GREAT LOSS. 

It would be unjust to continue the use of any given book until an 
edition of 25,000 was exhausted, as this represents the minimum number 
which the state could successfully print. How long would such an 
eilit ion last? A few examples will be sufficient: 

Third year Latin texts would last 26 years; fourth year Latin, 
32 years; German texts, 10 to 11 years; English history, 11 years; eco- 
nomics, IS years; agriculture, 33 years: household chemistry, 5:5 years. 
Shall we mortgage the interests of the hoys and girls of the next 
generation and be compelled to teach that which is not, true? 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 93 

II. 
EDUCATIONAL PHASES OF STATE UNIFORMITY. 

UNITY VS. UNIFORMITY. 

We are interested in maintaining such freedom in the matter of 
textbooks as shall make it possible to fit them fairly to the diverse needs 
of classes formed for various purposes and coming from varying sur- 
roundings. "We do not want growing subjects to be crystallized about 
any one man's ideas. We do not want the study of any of the great 
fields of knowledge to be limited for an entire state to what is given in 
one textbook. We do not want to place a premium upon the study of 
traditional subjects and ancient knowledge by furnishing such text- 
books free, as suggested by the proponents on page 14 of their brief, 
while the new and vital stuff! of the day is sidetracked because the pupil 
must pay to get it. We do not want the marvelous advantages of 
unity muddled in anybody 's mind with the deadening effects of slavery 
to uniformity. Finally, we recognize the necessity of careful scrutiny 
of financial methods involved in the different ways of furnishing text- 
books. We recognize the great value of some central body to guard 
against careless expenditures for textbooks and evident mistakes as to 
the reliability or adaptability of such books. We would strongly 
deprecate any change that would replace the benevolent power of such 
a central body, subject to reason and to changing conditions, with the 
technical restrictions and complicated laws and the embalming effects of 
large financial investments and unnecessary financial ventures on the 
part of the state. 

TEACHERS FIRST ADVOCATED FREE TEXTBOOKS. 

Let it be clearly understood that the educational people of the state 
are and have been generally favorable to free textbooks, and that the 
proposition, backed by careful investigation of the experience elsewhere, 
that textbooks should be free, was made by them long before any other 
bodies had even discussed the matter. 

The state association in 1902 adopted the report of a committee favor- 
ing free textbooks, and later the Southern California Association 
adopted a similar report. It thus appears that the teachers of the 
state, whenever they have made any investigation of the matter, have 
reported favorably to free textbooks, and largely on financial grounds. 
But there has never been any report from any state teachers' body 
favoring uniform textbooks for high schools. 

None of the objections to uniformity apply of necessity to free books 
furnished by the district, either with or without state aid. Local 
adoptions can have thrown about them all necessary care and oversight. 



94 RErORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

Limitations can be placed on expenditures, so that interests of economy 
can be conserved and still educational conditions and aims be fully 
met. The State Board of Education can adequately guard all interests 
concerned. Free books have their objections, but these objections apply 
to them if uniform just the same. They are largely objections of sani- 
tation and administration. 

It is worth while to note that we may compel districts to provide text- 
books free within a given period, give state aid if we think best so to 
do, and still be free to retire from this position at any time we think 
best to do so, or provide for uniformity or state printing if we then 
think it wise, without financial loss to the state in making the change. 
On the other hand, the undertaking of production of these books by the 
state means not only uniformity, but long continued use of the same 
textbook, good or bad, and an investment by the state that renders any 
modification of our course in the light of experience, our own or that 
of others, most difficult. 

THE TEXTBOOK A BODY OP KNOWLEDGE. 

The textbook is primarily an accepted body of knowledge. Time was 
when we were able to include between the covers of a textbook pretty 
much all the accepted body of knowledge in any field. Today, such a 
body of knowledge in most fields would fill libraries. Different text- 
books present different portions of this body of knowledge according 
as people and schools differ in their estimate of what is most funda- 
mental. Even teachers differ frequently as to what they can give with 
greatest effect. While any good teacher may be able to present with 
average success any portion of his own field, a teacher is frequently 
found who can do work of remarkable effectiveness in some portion of 
the field where he has exceptional education, experience, or native 
talent. 

Thus it is quite within the realm of reason that at times it may be 
in the interest of efficiency to make this work possible. "Whether it is 
financially expedient is then the question for some responsible authority 
to decide. Where the young people in different parts of a state have 
been educated in a given field — say civics — in different textbooks, the 
equilibrium of the state as regards this field is maintained after these 
young people leave school and become an influential part of the state 
by the attrition of these various ideas and ideals upon one another. In 
other words, the larger education is the education the young people of 
the slate give each oilier as they bring into the contact of real life their 
various views obtained in school life. It is fortunate for the educational 
breadth of any state if its school views have not all been obtained from 
the same book. 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 95 

THE TEXTBOOK A MODE OF APPROACH. 

A textbook is not only an organized body of knowledge ; it is also a 
mode of approach. As long as schools were for "born scholars" only, 
and so-called culture was the sole aim of the school, Greek roots and 
science were on equal footing. Today all are going to school and are 
demanding that school work shall appear to them rational and worth 
while attempting. That it may do this, it must find its roots in the 
real life the pupil knows and must show itself in some degree applicable 
to the solution of the life problems he anticipates meeting. The demand 
is that education shall be practical, growing out of the surroundings of 
the pupil and helpful to him in living a larger and more effective life 
than he could otherwise do. The selection of a textbook is one impor- 
tant factor. It is the prescription. 

The local physician may not always be able to make the wisest 
prescription, but it is very certain that a committee at a central point 
should not be expected to make the wisest diagnosis of the local needs. 
Cooperating in a reasonable way, a central committee could do the work 
of an expert consulting physician. The demand for more practical 
education, applicable to life and derived from real surrounding condi- 
tions, has given rise to a flood of new textbooks meeting this need with 
greater or less success. But those books adapted to one purpose, or to 
one set of conditions, are thereby less adapted to some other purpose or 
set of conditions. Such efforts are the hope of popular education. Stifle 
them and we are tied to the past. The body of teachers will naturally 
teach largely as they have been taught, but the cutting edge of progress 
for them and for the schools is the new textbook that links some field 
of knowledge up with life in a new and more effective way. 

TEXTBOOKS AS TOOLS. 

The textbook is not only a body of knowledge and mode of approach, 
but also a tool in the hands of the teacher. A teacher may, to be sure, 
teach any subject of which he is a thorough master, without a textbook, 
but only as he practically makes a textbook himself. Teachers of excel- 
lent abilities in the class room may be wholly unable to organize the 
equivalent of a good textbook even if they have the time, and the 
ordinary textbook on the market requires years for its completion. An 
occasional experiment without a textbook may be advisable for tempo- 
rary reasons, but is not usually compatible with greatest efficiency. 

How the conception of the textbook as a tool may call for a difference 
in textbooks in different schools is apparent if the kind of textbook in 
civil government for instance, required by a teacher of a class in a 
large city high school be compared with that required by the teacher 
in a small rural high school, who frequently finds that in addition to 



96 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

other subjects he must teach the civil government. The former, with 
large reference libraries at hand, both in school and city, with time 
to organize the work and take his class to study first hand the details 
of city and county government, wants a mere outline for the textbook 
and prefers that his pupils should not be prejudiced by arguments 
and conclusions drawn by an authority already adopted and accepted. 
The rural high school teacher, on the other hand, must have a book 
that will largely carry the subject, to which he can scarce give the time 
for recitation. A system that would permanently and certainly pro- 
hibit principals from having any possible voice in the selection of the 
tools their teachers must use, would doubtless be held in the same 
regard by them as a system by a superintendent of a manufactory 
that would permanently debar him from having any voice or power 
of recommendation of machines or tools that he sees will make for 
efficiency. 

NARROWING INFLUENCE OF THE SINGLE TEXT. 

It is as preposterous to demand that all high school teachers use the 
same text as it would be to demand that all carpenters use a Simonds 
or a Disston saw. Is there not the same reason for prescribing uniform 
apparatus in all the laboratory sciences; uniform tools in the industrial 
art courses; uniform equipment in all the commercial departments, 
and indeed, uniform articles in all general school supplies'? 

The courses and the textbooks must not only be chosen to suit the 
varying needs of the pupils and of the communities in which they live, 
and be adapted to the individuality of the teacher, if the highest 
efficiency is to be attained, but these textbooks must be selected in 
relation to the school equipment. This is true in all departments, 
particularly in the cultural subjects of history, English, economics, 
to say nothing of the laboratory courses, whether in the sciences, 
commercial work or other branches. How could a small high school, 
with few, if any books, use successfully a history text calling for a 
great deal of supplementary reading 1 Should the Los Angeles High 
School, on the other hand, with 8,100 volumes in its own library, be 
compelled to use a text without such a rich fund of supplementary 
materials? There would be a gross injustice in compelling all schools 
to follow the same course and to use the same laboratory texts or 
manuals in the sciences. The small high school would find it utterly 
impossible to purchase the apparatus and supplies required by the 
science courses as given in the Oakland Technical High School. It 
would be a greater injustice to limit the efficiency of the larger high 
schools by expecting them to conform to the same course requirements 
as some of the meagerly equipped schools of the state. 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 97 

There are numerous subjects that are being newly taught in high 
schools such as economics — a study of the principles underlying the 
business world — in which crystallization by the long-time adoption of a 
single textbook would chloroform the subject. General science is 
everywhere coming in as necessary, it being only ordinary good sense 
to believe that young people should be made acquainted with the science 
of common things in this, an age of science. But the ventures at text- 
book making in this field have thus far been wholly inadequate. Even 
so formal a subject as algebra has recently received some lively and 
practical contributions to its list of textbooks. A most excellent text- 
book has just appeared, in which all algebraic formulae are derived 
from such ordinary surroundings as the sewing machine, the turning 
lathe, the traveling crane, and the more common machines of the shop, 
so that the subject is not a mere juggling of symbols. It will probably 
be the making of boys and girls where it is used by a teacher who 
understands and appreciates it, because it makes the best of algebra 
real and discards what can not be made real. Its successful introduc- 
tion, however, can hardly come by hat. The teacher must recognize in 
it a needed tool. Science preparatory for engineering is not the same 
as science for home economics courses. Science adapted to needs of 
girls is not necessarily the science needed by the boys. The agricul- 
tural and horticultural conditions in different parts of the state demand 
treatment in textbooks differing the one from the other. 

Instances requiring difference of treatment impossible in case of 
state-wide adoption might be multiplied at length. "Probably no one 
of all the thousands of high schools," say Strayer and Thorndike in 
their book on Educational Administration, page 175, "is doing the best 
possible thing for education, but most of them would do worse than 
they now do if they all did do the very best possible thing for any one 
of them." 

It has been asked if there are not subjects in which there is practi- 
cally no change. It has been suggested, for instance, that the Greek 
Epics of Homer are not liable to any violent changes in the general 
disturbances of modern life ; that the Lady of the Lake is the same as 
when written; and so with the classic literatures of other languages. 
Would it not be advisable, we are asked, to make these uniform as to 
edition and perhaps print them at our state printing office even though 
the pupil must purchase his other textbooks? If such text as "Lady 
of the Lake," for instance, were made uniform and free, other litera- 
ture, no matter how much more practical or well adapted to the pur- 
pose in hand, requiring a textbook to be bought would be sidetracked. 
We should at once see the tendency to give only those subjects in which 
the book is free. Spanish would give place to Latin. Similar examples 
in other fields of educational endeavor come readily to mind. 

7—27503 



98 REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

UNIFORMITY A DANGEROUS ADVENTURE. 

In our opinion, your committee would do well to consider carefully 
the likelihood of the state being able to command the best of the text- 
books already written or to obtain for state use with any certainty the 
best of our local product. Your committee should also determine 
whether really successful textbooks can be written to order. 

We believe that it is the business of the state, where possible, to pro- 
tect its citizens against egregious and costly errors of judgment. For- 
tunately, in this case, it is not necessary to throttle initiative or hamper 
progress to do it. There is ample experience both outside and inside 
the state of California to draw upon. Many states and hundreds of 
cities have tried free textbooks. Their experience covers many years. 
There is no necessity for making any excursion into the sea of untried 
policies. We have a State Board of Education that was created to 
bring to us the light of the world's experience and keep in full touch 
with the real educational situation in California. They can keep the 
state from foolish and dangerous adventures, but only as the state 
through its organization consults them and listens to them. We are 
but a temporary committee of a voluntary organization. Without 
doubt we do, in this matter, represent the teachers of the state. The 
State Board of Education in a permanent and authoritative way rep- 
resents not the teachers only, but the entire educational interests of 
this state. To the State Board of Education we refer your committee 
for any factors on either side of the question that we have overlooked 
or through unwitting prejudice have failed to state fairly. 

Finally, we submit that a unified educational system does not involve 
uniformity. Unity of effort implies rational cooperation among factors 
differing as widely as the conditions that surround them. Uniformity 
means mechanical duplication, displaces reason, and stops progress. 

Unity is the law of life. Uniformity is the rule of death. 



REPOBT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 99 

Exhibit H. 

THE CALIFORNIA TEXTBOOK PLAN. 

By the Superintendent of Public Instruction. 

What is known as the California Textbook System began when the 
legislature of 1883 submitted the Perry amendment to the constitution, 
providing for state publication of textbooks, in the following words: 

"Sec. 7. The governor, superintendent of public instruction, 
and the principals of the state normal schools, shall constitute the 
State Board of Education, and shall compile, or cause to be. com- 
piled, and adopt a uniform series of textbooks for use in the 
common schools throughout the state. The state board may cause 
such textbooks, when adopted, to be printed and published by the 
superintendent of state printing at the state printing office, and 
when so printed and published to be distributed and sold at the 
cost price of printing, publishing, and distributing the same. The 
textbooks so adopted shall continue in use not less than four years. ' ' 

This was adopted by the people by an almost unanimous vote in 
November, 1884, and was followed by the necessary enabling legislation 
in 1885. By 1886 the state board had prepared and the State Printer 
had published four books, by use of an appropriation of $170,000, of 
which $20,000 was for compiling and $150,000 for plant, material and 
labor. The feeling of that time is interesting to observe as reported by 
W. T. Welcker, the superintendent of public instruction, in his report 
to the governor in 1886 : 

"The opponents of this measure (the Perry amendment), 
although they were not successful, were able and fiercely zealous. 
It was indeed a novel experiment and a great departure from all 
known methods. In opposition it was urged that the State Board 
of Education would prove incompetent ; that granting their ability 
to discharge their appropriate duties, this was a work of expertism 
of a rare and special kind ; that the preparation of school textbooks 
was a trade in itself which required years of training in that par- 
ticular business. 

"So much scandal has gathered about the supply of the public 
schools with textbooks, so many charges of corruption alleged to 
have been done by the book houses among school officers, school 
boards, and legislatures, that many persons would be well satisfied 
with textbooks published under the scheme now under consider- 
ation, even were they somewhat inferior in quality and more 
expensive in cost than those heretofore in use. But the cost of the 
books is one of the most gratifying things connected with the enter- 
prise. The cost at Sacramento, as determined by the State Board 
of Education, of the books now furnished, is as follows : 



100 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

CALIFORNIA STATE BOOKS IN 1886. 

Speller and Word Analysis 20 cents 

First Reader, 128 pages 15 cents 

Second Reader, 228 pages 30 cents 

Third Header, 512 pages 40 cents 

"The series of readers, covering substantially the same ground 
as those heretofore in use, will cost 85 cents, while the price of Ban- 
croft's is $2.60; McGuffey's is $2.50; Appleton's is $3.00; and 
Swinton's $3.05! The series of the state costs but little more than 
one-third of the price of the cheapest of the above!" 

Two years later the legislature, upon the advice and request of the 
State Board of Education, made another appropriation of $165,000, 
$15,000 for compiling and $150,000 for plant, materials and labor, and 
authorized the publication of a number of additional books. Other 
appropriations were made for the state printing office from time to time 
in subsequent years, for machinery, buildings, etc., but it is not possible 
to divide the expense accurately between textbooks and other state 
printing. 

FIRST PERIOD. 

This gets us fairly into the first period of the California Textbook 
System, which may be called the period of state publication and local 
authorship. It continued from 1883 to 1903, or twenty years. It was 
a time of contention, strife and abuse, very disquieting to those who 
were responsible for the enterprise. 

The newness of the scheme shocked people's minds and roused their 
antagonism. The mechanical difficulties to be overcome were innumer- 
able. Some editions were badly bound. Some books were poorly 
written. Every teacher preferred to use some favorite textbooks, that 
he had been brought up on perhaps, and to be obliged to give these up 
for something else again made loud verbal explosions on every hand. 
There were hundreds of book dealers in the state who were cut out of 
the profits of retailing books, and they were frequently heard from. 
The great publishing houses had agents circulating in every part of the 
land, whose religion it was to everlastingly damn the whole idea of state 
publication. 

The leading educators almost universally followed suit. Institutes, 
clubs and associations condemned it. No educational gathering was 
complete that did not take a fall out of the state textbooks. Never did 
any one have a good word to say of them in public. They were an 
impersonal sort of thing, like the weather, that any one could criticize 
and abuse without fear of unpleasant consequences. Doubtless, at this 
time, any books whatever that could have been printed by the state 
would have met the same fate. Yet it is worth remarking that the 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 101 

people of the state who do the voting in the legislature and at the polls 
have never failed to uphold the California plan by overwhelming 
majorities whenever an opportunity has come to them, even down to 
the present day. 

However, those in charge of state publication became very uncom- 
fortable over the general clamor. They revised the books and added to 
them in vain, and continually they looked for some way to improve the 
matter, to stop the howls. Undoubtedly, if it had not been planted 
deep in the constitution itself, state publication would have gone by the 
board during this period. 

The close of the period found the state publishing fourteen textbooks, 
as shown in the following table: 

CALIFORNIA STATE BOOKS IN 1903. 



Name of book 



Cost price at 
Sacramento 



Revised First Reader 

Revised Second Reader 

Revised Third Reader 

Revised Fourth Reader 

Speller 

Primary Number Lessons 

Advanced Arithmetic 

Lessons in Language 

Revised English Grammar 

New U. S. History (Grammar School). 

Elementary Geography 

Advanced Geography 

Physiologjr 

Civil Government 



$0 16 
28 
44 
53 
25 
20 
42 
25 
47 
81 
50 
1 02 
50 
46 



These books were prepared under the general direction of the State 
Board of Education. As a matter of fact it was quite impossible for 
the busy and overworked men who composed the board (the superin- 
tendent of public instruction - and the presidents of the state normal 
schools) to do the work of writing textbooks, so various plans were tried. 
W. L. Willis, a teacher and newspaper man of Sacramento, prepared 
the speller, which remained in use for twenty years. H. C. Kinne, a 
veteran teacher of San Francisco, offered a set of readers which were 
adapted to meet the ideas of the board. F. H. Clark, of the Los Angeles 
high school, was engaged to prepare a history. At least a dozen other 
teachers of the state were engaged in one way and another in the prepa- 
ration of these earliest books. Among them were Win. Carey Jones, 
Frank Morton, Volney Rattan, G-eo. R. Kleeberger, Sarah P. Monk, 
Elizabeth Wilson, Ruth Royce and Cornelia Walker. 

At last the actual work was placed upon an editor-in-chief, W. H. H. 
Raymond, with various expert assistants from time to time. Among 



102 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

these were Miss Anna C. Murphy, who is now Mrs. Edwin Markham, 
and Mrs. Mary W. George, who is now on the faculty of the San Jose 
State Normal School. This editorial board worked at the state capital 
in connection with the office of the superintendent. 

SECOND PERIOD. 

During the twenty year period four million books were made and sold 
to the people for a million and half of dollars. 

During the administration of Governor H. IT. Markham, while 
Thomas J. Kirk was superintendent and Tirey L. Ford attorney general, 
the law and the constitution were very carefully scrutinized to find some 
way out of the woods of general complaint. It Avas determined that, 
although the books themselves must be manufactured at the state print- 
ing office, there was nothing in the constitution that required local 
authorship, nothing to prevent the state board from leasing or buying 
copyrights and plates of books already published for the use of the 
State Printer. 

This construction was hailed as a godsend. Thus could the teachers 
of the state have the very best books extant, from the most meritorious, 
successful and popular authors, selected in the open markets of the 
world, with the sky for a limit. The legislature of 1903 passed a new 
set of enabling laws, providing for the following plan : 

A standing committee of the State Board of Education, composed of 
the Governor, the superintendent and a third member elected by the 
board shall have direct charge of the textbook business. This state text- 
book committee was given a secretary with a salary of $2,500, which was 
regarded as a wild extravagance at the time. Under the general direc- 
tion of the board it should select books, lease plates, do all necessary 
editorial work, and report to the board. The books when printed should 
be sold to the children at cost as before. A textbook appropriation of 
$20,000 was made for the use of the textbook committee. About half 
of this was still on hand when free textbooks were adopted in 1913. 

The new committee went to work enthusiastically. It had difficulty 
at first in getting the publishers to lease the plates of their successful 
books. They were chary of the scheme. Inertia was to be overcome. 
The first royalties were high, ranging from one-fourth to one-third the 
list price of the book. The American Book Company had the lion's 
-hare of the adoptions. D. C. Heath & Company, the Macmillan Com- 
pany, Ginn & Company, were also represented, and later Silver, Burdetl 
& Company, the World Book Company, and Newson & Company. This 
was the period of state publication and leased copyrights. It lasled 
from 1903 to 1913, or leu years. Public clamor somewhat died down. 
The hook companies were ameliorated. The teachers had the same hooks 
as other people. The dealers had accepted the situation. 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



103 



The chief storm center at this time was the cost of the books to the 
children, alleged to be caused by their frequent change. Of course, in 
changing the system, all the books were eventually changed, but the law 
requiring no change in less than four years, and no book contract for 
less than four years, was strictly adhered to. Several of the books had 
stood unchanged from a dozen to a score of years. However, it was 
found that when a book had been in use four years so many people were 
fighting it that it must needs be changed. During the latter part of 
this period determined efforts were made to lower the cost of the books. 
The publishers very generally entered into heated competition against 
each other and the royalties were reduced from about twenty per cent 
to about fifteen per cent of the list price. No headway, however, could 
be made in lowering the manufacturing cost. In general the price to 
the children was somewhat below the publishers' list price for the same 
book, and the book in most cases was specially adapted to California use 
by changes and supplements in the plates. The following table shows 
books, costs, royalties and prices at the close of the period: 

CALIFORNIA STATE BOOKS IN 1913. 

(Prices fixed March 3, 1912.) 



Books 



Cost of 
manufacture 



Royalty 



Cost price at 
Sacramento 



Primer _. 

First Reader 

Second Reader 

Third Reader 

Fourth Reader 

Fifth Reader 

Speller— Book I 

Speller— Book II 

First Book in Arithmetic 

Advanced School Arithmetic 
English Lessons*— Book I _._ 
English Lessons* — Book II__ 

Introductory History 

Brief School History 

Introductory Geography 

Advanced Geography 

Civics 

Writing — Book I 

Writing — Book II 

Writing— Book III 

Writing*— Book IV 

Writing*— Book V 

Primer of Hygiene 




18 
17 
19 
25 
30 
30 
17 
17 



26 
31 
37 
58 
45 
65 
38 
04 
04 
04 
04 
04 
21 



The State Printer and the State Board of Education in fixing prices 
all these years had added to the actual cost a small percentage to build 
up a fund to repay the state its original outlay for the printing plant. 
At the end of the period this accumulated school book fund amounted to 



104 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

about $200,000. It was then added to the appropriations for free books, 
and expended for that purpose. 

There were four successive secretaries of the state textbook committee : 
J. H. Strine, ex-superintendent of Los Angeles County ; Robert W. Fur- 
long, ex-superintendent of Marin County ; George L. Sackett, ex-super- 
intendent of Ventura County ; and B. S. Lobdell, a long time agent of 
the publishing houses. The plan followed for adopting books and get- 
ting them to the children during this period was as follows : 

"The textbook committee has direct charge of all the textbook 
affairs, under direction of the board. When the contract for the 
plates of a textbook is about to expire, this committee invites bids 
from publishing houses for suitable books, renewing or substituting 
the contract. 

"Half a dozen or more expert teachers of the state are designated 
as readers, and paid about $25 each, to make a detailed study of all 
books offered in a given branch. The state board meets and con- 
siders the various books, giving opportunity for the agents of the 
books to present arguments, hearing the reports of the readers, and 
admitting any other testimony or opinion that may be offered. 
Then it chooses the book by ballot and instructs the textbook com- 
mittee to make contract accordingly. The complete plates in dupli- 
cate are furnished to the State Print or by the publishing company 
gratis, all changes desired by the committee being incorporated. 

"The books are then manufactured in the state printing office 
and sold by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the dealers 
and school officers of the state. The publishers are paid quarterly 
from the proceeds of the sales, so much royalty for each book sold. 
The prices are fixed by the State Board of Education annually upon 
the cost reports of the State Printer. 

******* 

' ' Before a dealer can buy books from the state office he must sign 
an affidavit by which he agrees that he will not sell the books at a 
price higher than that fixed by the State Board of Education, and 
also that he will not sell the books to purchasers outside the state. 
Upon signing it. the dealer must forward it to his county superin- 
tendent of schools, who, in turn, must endorse it and forward it to 
the state office." 

THIRD AND LAST PERIOD. 

The third and last period may be called the time of state publication, 
leased copyrights, and free distribution. It extends from 1913 to the 
present time, or a little more than two years. 

Free school books was not a new idea. Superintendent Ira G. Hoitt 
recommended it in bis report to the Governor in 1888 as the cure for 
our textbook troubles, as follows: 

"The state of California has taken a step in the right direction 
in furnishing books of its own manufacture -to the children at cost. 
It should, in my opinion, go one step farther and furnish the use of 
textbooks free to all children attending the public schools." 



EEPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 105 

It had been proposed many times since, without hope or prospect of 
success, until the progressive idea began to free men's minds from 
precedent and convention. The administration of Governor Hiram "W. 
Johnson took it up. The legislature of 1911 submitted to the people a 
constitutional amendment known as the Shanahan amendment, which 
came to vote in November, 1912, and despite the customary opposition 
was carried by a great majority. It read as follows : 

"Sec. 7. The legislature shall provide for the appointment or 
election of a state board of education, and said board shall provide, 
compile, or cause to be compiled and adopt a uniform series of 
textbooks for use in the day and evening elementary schools 
throughout the state. The state board may cause such textbooks, 
when adopted, to be printed and published by the superintendent 
of state printing, at the state printing office ; and wherever and 
however such textbooks may be printed and published, they shall 
be furnished and distributed by the state free of cost or any charge 
whatever, to all children attending the day and evening elementary 
schools of the state, under such conditions as the legislature shall 
prescribe. The textbooks so adopted, shall continue in use not less 
than four years without any change or alteration whatsoever which 
will require or necessitate the furnishing of new books to such 
pupils." 

It was the intention and expectation of all who had to do with this 
amendment that it would not go into effect until the beginning of a new 
fiscal year and after proper enabling legislation had been effected. 
Attorney General Webb, however, after taking some time for delibera- 
tion and investigation, rendered an official opinion stating: 

First — That the old State Board of Education and the textbook 
committee are abolished and there can not be a new plan until it is 
created by legislative action. 

Second — That the free textbooks should be furnished the schools 
at once, without waiting for enabling legislation or anything else. 

Third — That all of the functions of the state educational system 
devolved upon the Superintendent of Public Instruction, as the 
educational representative of the people. 

Thus the superintendent faced one of the most extensive, complex and 
difficult tasks that ever came to any man, to furnish free textbooks by 
hundreds of thousands to the impatient schools and children of a great 
state ; to do it without funds, without precedent, without previous plan, 
and at once. He went ahead as best he could. The state printer put 
his great plant to work day and night at fullest capacity. The legisla- 
ture made some emergency appropriations. A scheme of distribution 
was devised that worked well and that has never been changed in prin- 
ciple since. The books went out in carload lots and reached every nook 
and corner of the state, in every desert, and mountain and plain, from 
Oregon to Mexico. The teachers of the state were very helpful and 



106 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



patient, making their first demands as light as possible, and when 
necessary doing without the books that were slow in making. 

During this time the state printer was Friend Wm. Richardson, a 
practical newspaper man with a talent for organization. He was of 
great service to the state in the early days of the free textbook enter- 
prise. By a careful eost finding system and rigid supervision of detail 
he substantially reduced the cost of manufacture time after time. 

The new State Board of Education was organized in the fall of 1913. 
It was a lay board of seven members, appointed by the Governor and 
generously furnished with appropriations .for remuneration, expenses, 
equipment and all the expert assistants and office helpers that it desires. 
Up to the present time it has made no changes in textbooks or in manner 
of handling them, but it is admirably adapted for investigating and 
wisely choosing books through its experts in future, and for handling 
the commercial and industrial problems that come up in connection 
with their production, distribution, and use. . The whole thing is simply 
a matter of state enterprise. If it can be efficiently and honestly and 
economically administered it will be successful and a great blessing to 
the people. Otherwise — well, then it will be to the contrary! 

The following table shows the books manufactured at the present 
time, July, 1915, with their cost and selling price to those who buy. 
Private schools like to buy the state books. A very few parents buy, so 
that their children can have duplicate books at home, or so that they 
can use individual books. Sometimes children buy to replace those they 
have themselves lost or destroyed. Books are not sold outside the state. 

CALIFORNIA STATE BOOKS IN 1915. 



Name of book 



Primer 

First Reader 

Second Reader 

Third Reader • 

Fourth Reader 

Fifth Reader 

Speller— One 

Speller— Two 

First Arithmetic 

Advanced Arithmetic 

New English Lessons — line. 
New English Lessons -Two. 

Introductory History 

Brief History 

introductory Geography _. 

Advanced Geography 

Hygiene 

< 'ivies 



Cost and 
selling 

I nice :it 

Sai ramonto 



Writing Rook One 
Writ ing Boob Two . 
Writing Look Three 
Writing Book Four - 
Writing Book— Five .. 



$0 15 
15 
18 
19 

• 24 
24 
14 
14 
18 
23 
23 
26 
31 
41 
32 
54 
18 
31 
04 
04 
04 
04 
04 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



107 



The following table will be of interest in this connection, showing 
the trade name of each of the California books with its publisher and 
the price at which it is delivered to the children by the publisher : 

EQUIVALENT OF CALIFORNIA STATE BOOKS IN 1915. 



Original name of book 


Publisher 


Publisher's 
list price 




Newson & Co. __ . 


$0 32 




Silver, Burdett & Co.... 
American Book Co. __ 

American Book Co. 

Silver, Burdett & Co.__. 

The Macmillan Co. . 

The Macmillan Co. _ __ 

American Book Co. 

American Book Co. _ _ 
Silver, Burdett & Co.— 
Silver, Burdett & Co.... 

D. C. Heath & Co 

American Book Co. _ . _ 
The Macmillan Co. _ 

The Macmillan Co. 

D. C. Heath & Co.. 


32 


Brooks Second Reader _ _ _ 


35 


Brooks Third Reader . _ . 


40 


Stepping Stones to Literature _ __ 


60 


Chancellors Spellers — Book I _ _ _ 


25 


Chancellors Spellers — Book II 


30 


McClvmonds & Jones El. Arithmetic 

McClymonds & Jones Essentials in Arith. 
Guide Books to English — Book I 


35 
60 
45 


Guide Books to English — Book II__ _ 


60 


Thomas Introductory Historv _ .. 


65 


McMasters Brief History of the U. S. 

Tarr & McMurrays Intro. Geography 

Tarr & McMurrays Advanced Geography. 
Dunns Community and the Citizen 


1 00 
60 

1 00 
75 


Spencer Sons Writing — Book I ... 


American Book Co. 

American Book Co. 

American Book Co... 

American Book Co... ... 

American Book Co 

W T orld Book Company.. 


05 


Spencer Sons Writing — Book II . __ __ 


05 


Spencer Sons Writing — Book III _ _ _ _ 


05 


Spencer Sons Writing — Book IV 


05 


Spencer Sons Writing — Book V — 


05 


Primer of Hygiene 


40 







It will be seen that the California prices are very much lower than 
those of the regular publishers. The comparison is not cpiite fair, 
perhaps, in that some of the overhead expense, as the salaries of some 
managers and editors, the cost of exploiting, the interest and deprecia- 
tion of plant, the losses by unsuccessful books, is not included in 
reckoning the California costs. We believe, however, that the state 
is getting its service of textbooks at a saving of at least 25 per cent, 
everything considered, over what it would cost if given to private 
publishers in the regular way. 

Certainly the state would not recede from or give up its textbook 
system under any circumstances. It is running more smoothly, giving 
more general satisfaction and meeting with less opposition than ever 
before in its history. The teachers find great comfort in being relieved 
of the task of badgering the children to buy books and in being able, for 
the most part, to start their classes all together fully equipped on the 
first day of the term. It is alleged by some that our books are not so 
well bound as those of private publishers. We find, however, that they 
last as long in actual use as any books. 

The present method of adopting, making and distributing textbooks 
may be briefly sketched thus : 

The preliminary investigation of the textbooks offered to the State 
Board of Education by publishers and authors for adoption is made by 



108 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

the three commissioners of education and the superintendent of public 
instruction. They spend some months in the study and are free to con- 
sult and to employ expert teachers actually at work in the schools of the 
state upon any phase of the examination in which they need help. 
Finally they report to the board. The board gives audience to the 
representatives of every book offered, questions them, listens to briefs, 
recommendations and all other testimony offered. It listens to the 
reports of the commissioners and the expert readers. At last the board 
makes choice and contracts for the use of the plates of the successful 
books for four or more years, at a certain royalty for each book dis- 
tributed, stipulating any additions, changes or California supplements 
that may be desired at the expense of the publishers. The publisher 
furnishes the completed plates in duplicate to the state printer, who 
prints the books in 25,000 editions and turns them over to the ware- 
house, from which they are distributed to the schools upon the order of 
the superintendent of public instruction. 

At the end of each year the teacher or principal sends in a requisition 
for the additional books she will need for the next year, accompanied by 
a list of the books she alread}^ has. In response, the books are sent out 
to the school clerks by the superintendent, with parcel post, express or 
freight rates prepaid by the state. Some shipments consist of half a 
dozen books by mail to a remote school on a mountain top ; others are 
whole carloads to some city in the valley or by the sea. Later supple- 
mental requisitions are filled when necessary. The necessity and the 
reasonableness of the demands are verified by requiring all the requisi- 
tions to be approved and signed by the clerk of the school and the 
county superintendent. 

When the clerk receives the books for his school he turns them over to 
the teacher, principal or superintendent, who in turn distributes them 
to the children, keeps a record of them and is responsible for their care 
and preservation. Annual reports are made, showing the number of 
books on hand and their condition. At the end of the term the books 
arc, or should be, collected, repaired, recovered, fumigated, ready for 
redistribution at the opening of the new term. 

It is a most encouraging thing that the teachers have accepted the 
responsibility of the free textbooks wisely and moderately. No selfish 
grabbing for unreasonable supplies of books is apparent, and the books 
usually are carefully used. The cost for the first two and one-half 
years, including the original stocking up of the schools, was roughly 
half a million dollars. There are about 400,000 children in the schools, 
so llic total cost per child per year is approximately fifty cents. This 
includes the expense of distribution, I ml docs not include such additional 
or supplementary books as are purchased by the local schools. The law 
forbids requiring pupils to buy any books whatever. The cost in future 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 109 

seems likely to be about $200,000 per year, if the present policy is 
pursued. 

A question for the future to settle ' is the matter of individual 
ownership of school books. Hygienically it would be preferable for a 
book never to be used by more than one child. Many people contend 
that a book once issued should belong to the individual child and never 
be passed on to another. So far, the state has not seen its way clear to 
throw away the service that still remains in many of the books after 
they have been once used, the value of which would range somewhere 
between fifty and one hundred thousand dollars per year, probably. 
It is possible that some plan may be evolved for issuing books in cheap 
pamphlet form, a week or a month at a time, to put in the children's 
hands for a while and then destroy. 

The question of royalty is another interesting one for the future. The 
royalty at present is about 15 per cent of the list price of the books, or 
about 50 per cent of the cost of manufacture. Since the beginning of 
the plan for leasing copyrights the state has expended $530,756.11 for 
royalties, or something less than fifty thousand dollars per year. To the 
ordinary man it seems as if this great sum could be saved in future if 
the books were written by our own California teachers. It looks like 
velvet. However, there are two sides to the matter. As a matter of 
fact the books, in the past, cost quite as much under the local authorship 
plan as they have since under the leased cop}^right plan. It is possible 
that we could do better now, however, since we have more experience 
and improved conditions. Moreover, there is a law upon the statute 
books requiring texts made in California to be adopted when they 
are of equal merit and the same cost. But local authors have to be paid 
in one way or another, and the editorial work, the mechanical work of 
preparing the books for publication, has seemed in the past somehow to 
eat up the velvet. The royalty represents the author's compensation, 
the expense of preparing the plates, the cost of exploiting the book into 
a well-known and popular one that California would accept, the loss by 
unsuccessful books and the publishers' percentage of profit. There is 
room for quite a pretty argument as to whether or not the payment of 
royalty is the cheapest and best way to try our multitudes of textbooks 
in order to secure the successful and workable ones. Probably the 
future will see a course somewhere between the two extremes. Some 
books lend themselves well to local preparation and others are born, not 
made. It is well to leave the whole matter in an elastic form, ready to 
adapt to future ideas, for the future will bring changes no fewer than 
those of the past. 

It is impossible to forecast the nature and the extent of those changes, 
however, and now that we have brought the thing up to date our task 
is done, and we may leave the future to take care of itself. 

Edward Hyatt. 



110 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

Exhibit I. 

[Nobth Dakota Statute.] 

CHAPTER 145. 

[S. B. No. 159 — Rowe] 
Providing Uniform Textbooks. 

An act to provide uniformity of school textbooks in each of the common, 
independent and special school districts; to regulate the sale and 
price of same; to provide for selection, adoption, and contract by 
common school district boards and boards of education of inde- 
pendent and special school districts, and the sale of same through 
purchasing agents of such boards, or the purchase direct of such 
boards and sale at cost or loan free of expense to pupils. 

Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the State of North Dakota: 

§ 1. Before any person, firm, company or corporation shall offer 
for selection, adoption, contract, sale or exchange any school textbook 
or book for use in the schools of the state of North Dakota, such person, 
firm, company or corporation shall comply with the following con- 
ditions : 

1. File a copy of such school textbook or book for use in the schools 
of the state in the office of the state superintendent of public instruction 
with a sworn statement of the published list price ; the lowest wholesale 
price ; and the lowest exchange price ; based upon three and five year 
contract periods, at which said school textbook or book is sold or 
exchanged for an old book in the same subject of like grade and kind 
but a different series, to any school board, school corporation, or school 
commission anywhere in the United States. 

2. File with the state superintendent of public instruction, a bond 
running to the state of North Dakota, with a responsible surety com- 
pany authorized to do business in the state of North Dakota as surety 
thereon in the penal sum to be determined by the state superintendent 
of public instruction but not less than two thousand dollars nor more 
than ten thousand dollars conditioned as follows : 

(a) That any book listed in said statement and in any other state- 
ment subsequently filed by said person, firm, company or corporation 
shall be supplied by the publisher to any school district or any school 
corporation in the state of North Dakota at the price and terms con- 
tained in said statement. 

(b) That such price and terms so filed are to be reduced automatically 
in North Dakota whenever reductions are made by the publisher 
elsewhere in the United States so that at no time shall any book so 
filed and listed be sold to district school boards, boards of education 



EEPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. Ill 

or to their authorized purchasing agents at a higher price than is 
received for such book by the publisher elsewhere in the United States. 

(c) That all textbooks offered for sale, adoption, contract or exchange 
by the publisher in the state of North Dakota shall be equal in quality 
to those deposited in the office of the state superintendent of public 
instruction, as regards paper, binding, printing, illustrations, subject 
matter and all particulars that may affect the value of such textbooks. 

(cl) That in case an abridged or special edition of any book shall 
be prepared the person, firm, company, or corporation manufacturing 
the same shall sell such special edition to district school boards, boards 
of education of North Dakota or to their authorized purchasing agents 
at the same wholesale price at which the book is sold elsewhere. 

(e) That no person, firm, company or corporation filing their books 
in North Dakota under the provisions of this act shall enter into any 
understanding, agreement or combination to control prices or restrict 
competition in the sale of school textbooks. 

§ 2. Such bond shall be approved by the attorney general and 
upon such approval, said person, firm, company or corporation shall 
be licensed by the state superintendent of public instruction to sell 
the book or books so filed in the state of North Dakota. 

§ 3. It shall be the duty of the state superintendent of public 
instruction to have printed and distributed to the clerks of district 
school boards, secretaries of boards of education of independent and 
special school districts and county superintendents of schools within 
six (6) months after this act takes effect, a complete list of books filed 
with his department, giving the prices and terms of same; and the 
state- superintendent of public instruction shall have printed and dis- 
tributed annually thereafter a supplementary list of textbooks with 
prices and terms filed during the year, and all books used in the public 
schools of the state of North Dakota may be selected, adopted and 
contracted for from said list by district school boards and boards of 
education, and books so designated and contracted for shall be used 
exclusively for three (3) or five (5) years, during which time such 
books shall not be changed; provided, however, this shall not prevent 
school boards from using other supplementary books. 

§ 4. If in any case any person, firm, company or corporation, shall 
supply any district school board, board of education or purchasing 
agent of same, books inferior to the samples on file with the state 
superintendent of public instruction, or charge a higher price than 
was filed or than the same are sold for elsewhere in the United States, 
then it shall be the duty of the county superintendent on written 
complaint filed with him by the school board of such a district to 
inform the state superintendent of public instruction of the failure of 



112 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

said person, firm, company or corporation to comply with the terms of 
his filing. The state superintendent of public instruction shall there- 
upon notify the said person, firm, company or corporation of said 
complaint, and if said person, firm, company or corporation shall 
disregard the notification and fail to comply with the terms of agree- 
ment, filed with the state superintendent, then the bond of said person, 
firm, company or corporation shall be forfeited; and the attorney 
general shall upon written request of the state superintendent of public 
instruction proceed to collect the full amount of said bond. 

§ 5. No person, firm, company or corporation shall secure or attempt 
to secure the adoption, selection, contract or sale of any school textbook 
in this state by rewarding or promising to reward any teacher in any 
school in the state. No person, firm, company or corporation shall offer 
or give emolument, money or any valuable thing, promise or work, or 
any other inducement to any teacher or school officer in any school 
district for any vote or promise of vote or for his influence for any 
school book to be used in this state; provided, that nothing in this 
section shall be construed to prevent any person, firm, company or 
corporation from giving, or any school officer or teacher from receiving 
a reasonable number of sample school books for examination with 
the view of obtaining information as to the textbook or series of books 
from which said officer shall give his vote; provided, further, that 
any school officer or teacher receiving for examination sample books, 
shall after such examination deliver such samples to the clerk of the 
school district and such books shall then become the property of the 
district. 

§ 6. Boards of education and district school boards are hereby 
authorized and shall have the power to appoint agents or dealers to 
purchase, handle and sell the books which have been selected and 
contracted for, and it shall be unlawful for any dealer or for any 
purchasing agent of any school district to sell any books to pupils of 
the district listed with the state superintendent of public instruction 
as hereinbefore provided at a price to exceed 15 per cent advance on 
the net cost of the book as listed with the department of public instruc- 
tion and as named in the contract with the school district; provided, 
that to the selling price as above determined be added the net cost 
of transportation. 

§ 7. School districts are hereby authorized to purchase textbooks 
from the publisher at prices and terms listed with the state superin- 
tendent of public instruction and to sell said books to the pupils at 
said cost prices or at such prices as will include the cost of transporta- 
tion and cost of handling. 

District school boards and boards of education shall have the 
authority and are authorized to purchase all necessary books for 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



113 



indigent pupils and pay for the same out of the funds of the district 
and to loan same free of expense to such pupils. The district school 
board or board of education shall purchase all books necessary for the 
use of teacher in conducting the work in the schools of the district 
where such teachers are employed and such books shall be paid for 
out of the funds of the district and be held as the property of the 

district. 

§ 8. When a family removes from a school district, where free 
textbooks are not provided, the school board of the district from which 
the family removes may purchase out of the funds of the district, the 
textbooks in actual use by the children of such family at a fair price 
based upon the cost of the books and upon the condition of same; 
the books so purchased may be resold to other children in said district. 

§ 9. When the district school board or board of education of any 
district deems it advisable said board may provide for the free use of 
school textbooks by the pupils of their school or schools, or whenever 
five or more legal voters of a common school district or 10 per cent 
of the legal voters of a consolidated, special or independent school 
district shall petition the board to submit to such district the question 
of providing free textbooks to pupils attending such schools, it shall 
be the duty of such board to submit the same to the legal voters of 
such district. Such questions may be submitted to a special meeting 
or at any annual meeting provided fourteen days' notice is given 
thereof and by posting said notice on the school house or school houses 
of such district and in such other public place or places as the district 
school board or board of education deems advisable, and in all cases 
the notice of such meeting shall call attention to the fact that such 
question will be submitted, and in case of a majority of the legal 
voters of such district present and voting at such meeting are in favor 
of such free textbooks, it shall be the duty of the board to provide the 
same. All books purchased by school boards, as herein provided, shall 
be held as the property of the district and loaned to pupils of the 
district while pursuing a course of study therein, free of charge; but 
the school board shall hold such pupils responsible for any damage to, 
or loss of, or failure to return such books at the time and to the person 
that may be designated by the board of such district. 

§ 10. Any person, firm, company or corporation violating any pro- 
vision of this act shall on conviction thereof be punished by fine not 
to exceed five hundred dollars or by imprisonment not to exceed three 
months, or by both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of 
the court. 

§ 11. All acts or parts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby 
repealed. 

Approved, March 11, 1915. 

8—27503 



11 4 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

Exhibit J. 
I From r. S. Bureau of Education Bulletin.] 

Methods of distribution have been designated by law in some of the 
uniform textbook states but not in others. In general it may be said 
that publishers receiving contracts in any state arc required to estab- 
lish a state depository or county depositories. When a state deposi- 
tory is required, county selling agencies as a rule must be established. 
In practice it is customary for all firms receiving contracts in a state 
to unite in establishing a single state depository which handles all 
the state-adopted books for all of the firms. Often some already 
established business house is designated as a state depository. Each 
firm pays to the management of the depository a commission on sales. 
The depository contract provides that the depository shall maintain 
"absolute neutrality" between publishers whose books it distributes. 

The formation of these depositories is purely a business arrange- 
ment for economy in management and efficiency in distribution, since 
in but few instances are the sales in any state of any single firm great 
enough to warrant the establishment of a separate depository to handle 
its business. In a few states where individual firms are doing an 
especially large business independent depositories have been established; 
in Georgia, for instance, two firms maintain their own depositories 
apart from the general depository. 

The fact that publishers have united in establishing single state 
depositories has often been cited as evidence of a "book trust." Inves- 
tigation, however, of the conduct of the depositories does not show any 
reason for a belief in the existence of such a trust. 

Publishers distribute state-adopted books from state depositories in 
21 of the 24 uniform textbook states: Alabama, Arizona. Florida. 
Georgia, Idaho. Kansas. Kentucky. Louisiana. Mississippi, Montana. 
Nevada. New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma. Oregon, Smith Caro- 
lina, Tennessee. Texas, Utah. Virginia, and West Virginia. As already 
noted, certain cities and towns in these states are not required to use 
the state-adopted books. The states bind the publishers by contracts 
protected by bonds guaranteed by surety companies to have their books 
constantly on sale at the depositories at the prices fixed by the state 
boards of education or the school-book commissions, and also in one or 
more places in every county of the states. Publishers are either 
expressly required, as in North Carolina, to "maintain one or i»ore 
joint state depositories at some convenient distributing point or points 
in the state." or are practically required to do so. as in Alabama, where 
they must establish one or more depositories -subject to the approval of 
the state textbook commission. In some instances even the terms of 



KEPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 115 

discount, etc., are prescribed by the state board or by the commission, 
the depository, however, being required as stated, to maintain "abso- 
lute neutrality" between the publishers whose books it distributes. 

For the convenience of the merchants and the school children of these 
states the publishers have, when a central depository has not been 
designated by the state board of education or state textbook commission, 
selected one or more merchants located at the most convenient points of 
distribution, railroad facilities being considered, to act as their general 
distributing agents. From these general depositories the local agencies 
obtain all the state-adopted books, thus saving time, trouble, and 
expense incident to ordering from different places in the state or from 
the many contracting publishers. This arrangement is manifestly in 
the interest of the selling agencies and the school children, allowing the 
agencies, as it does, to secure all the adopted books at a central point in 
their own state and the children to obtain their books at convenient 
places when they need them. Publishers are also required by the 
majority of the states working under the state-adoption plan to mail 
postpaid or to ship by express or freight to any person ordering, if his 
order is accompanied by cash, a single copy or any number of copies 
of the state books at state prices. A citizen has, therefore, the option 
of ordering from the central depository, the local dealer, or the 
publisher. 

In order to insure the selling of books to school children at state 
prices, the publishers are sometimes required to stamp upon the back 
covers of the books which they furnish under their contracts both the 
retail and the exchange prices. It is made by law the duty of the 
county superintendent to report to the state superintendent of schools 
every case known to him of overcharge on the part of a merchant selling 
or exchanging at a price higher than the state contract price. Both 
the state authorities and the publishers have tried to work out a plan 
of selling state adopted books so that the books may be obtained easily 
and promptly by the local agents, so that school children may obtain 
the authorized books without delay when needed and so that books may 
be always obtained at the same place. 



116 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



Exhibit K. 

Official Report Showing Textbooks Used in October of the School Year 1915-16 
(Individual Classics Are Not to Be Included in This Report.) 



English — 

Grammar 31 

Composition— Rhetoric 2.">4 

Myths -- 216 

Heroic Ballads 171 

English Literature (History), 187 

American Literature (History) 69 

Oral English and Debate 59 

Oration and Argument 130 

Selections of Poetry i 214 

Selections of Prose 50 

Journalism 9 

Latin — 

First Book 250 

Grammar 161 

-ar 242 

Beginner's Composition 162 

Cicero 140 

Advanced Composition 116 

Virgil 127 

Other Texts 34 

Greek — 

Grammar 8 

Beginner's Greek 9 

Anabasis 7 

Iliad 5 

Composition 5 

French- 
Grammar 65 

Beginner's French 60 

Readers 50 

Composition 33 

German— 

Grammar 145 

Beginner's German 145 

Readers 159 

Composition 91 

Spanish- 
Grammar 144 

Beginner's Spanish 128 

Readers 135 

Composition 89 

History- 
Ancient 245 

Medieval and Modern 242 

English 135 

American 256 

General 8 

Industrial 19 

< 'ivies 256 

History Note Books 89 

Economics 68 

Sociology 4 



a 

a 5 



4,111 

25,643 
11,619 
9,444 
5,465 
1,530 
4,639 
3,381 
15,063 
3,555 
68 i 



4,776 
5,016 
3,647 
1,081 
1,542 
713 
565 



2,223 

1,516 

1,474 

891 



3,478 
3,148 
3,532 

1,282 



6,187 
5,098 
5,746 
2,626 



Commercial — 

Bookkeeping 

Shorthand Text-.. 

Speller 

Law 

Geography 

Correspondence .. 

Arithmetic 

Accounting 

Banking 

Business Practice 

Penmanship 

Typewriting 

Salesmanship 

Advertising 



Music Books 



History of Art. 



Mechanical Drawing 



Mathematics- 
Algebra, First Tear. 
Algebra, Advanced . 
Geometry (Plane) .. 
Geometry (Solid) ... 

Trigonometry 

Calculus 

Higher Arithmetic .. 
Mechanics 



6,339 

2,382 

8,132 

307 

420 

5,250 

3,786 

1,579 

85 



Science— 

Physics Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Chemistry Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Physical Geography Text- 
Laboratory Manual 

Biology Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Botany Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Zoology Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Physiology Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Geology Text 

Laboratory Manual 

Domestic Science Texts 

Household Arts Texts 

Agriculture Texts 

Manual Training Text 

Genera] Science 



• >ther Subjects 

Elocution 

Dramatics 

Psychology 

Astronomy 

Current History 

Assaying and Cyanide- 
Mineralogy 



243 

222 

127 

131 

87 

97 

214 

24 

16 

26 

104 

188 

4 

4 

103 

9 

38 



266 
198 
2&5 
189 
170 
4 
5 



225 

203 

235 

205 

87 

61 

51 

17 

68 

24 

13 

3 

34 

7 

7 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 117 

Exhibit L. 

KANSAS STATUTE. 

The said state school book commission shall, as soon as, and when 
practicable, print, publish, or provide for the publication of a com- 
plete series of school textbooks, as hereinafter mentioned, for use in 
the public schools, including the high schools, in the state of Kansas. 
Also they shall provide, by adoption, under the provisions of the law, 
for such books of the hereinafter-mentioned series as they find it 
impossible or impracticable to print or publish. They may also write, 
select, compile, or cause to be written or compiled, or purchase the copy- 
right or contract the right to publish all such books by the payment of 
an agreed royalty therefor. The said series of school textbooks shall 
consist of one spelling book, one primer, one each first, second, third, 
fourth, and fifth reader ; one each, elementary and advanced arithmetic ; 
one each, elementary and advanced geography ; one each, elementary 
and advanced grammar ; one each, elementary and advanced physiology 
and hygiene ; a primary and an advanced history of the United States ; 
a history of the state of Kansas; one civil government of the United 
States and of the state of Kansas ; one elements of agriculture and stock 
raising ; one system of penmanship ; a graded system of drawing books ; 
textbooks containing collections of masterpieces of American and Eng- 
lish literature, for the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades; algebra 
(elementary and advanced) ; geometry (including both plane and solid) ; 
Latin grammar ; Latin exercises ; Caesar ; Cicero ; Virgil ; English com- 
position ; English history ; English literature ; ancient history ; medieval 
and modern history ; rhetoric ; botany, chemistry ; zoology ; word 
analysis; geology; physical geography; complete texts in German and 
French (including exercises, grammar, readers, and classics) ; descrip- 
tive astronomy; and a bookkeeping text. Such books to be equal in 
subject matter, material, binding, and mechanical execution and approx- 
imately in size to the books named in sections 7318 and 7833 of the 
general statutes of Kansas of 1909. The said state school book com- 
mission may adopt, print, or publish, as in their opinion may be 
desirable or practicable, other textbooks in addition to the books 
enumerated above and may approve textbooks in subjects not enumer- 
ated above for special courses, to meet the needs and requirements of 
the courses of study prescribed for use in the public schools, including 
the high schools of the state ; provided, that the state school book com- 
mission shall have authority to so vary the period of adoption for high 
school classics as to meet the college entrance requirements ; provided 
further, that the state school book commission shall not contract with 
any person, company, or corporation for any of the books provided for 
in this act at a price in excess of the lowest price at which such book or 
books are sold for use in any other state, county, city, or district. The 
distribution of all textbooks adopted under the provisions of this sec- 
tion shall be according to the provisions of section 7820 of the general 
statutes of Kansas of 1909 except as relates to the 15 per cent com- 
mission, allowed in this act; cmd provided further, that any person, 
persons, company, or corporation who shall contract to furnish text- 
books adopted under the provisions of section 1 of this act shall take 



118 REPORT UK TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

up any textbooks previously in use and displaced by said adoption 
which may be offered to the contracting publishers or their agents 
within one year after the beginning of said contract and shall allow 
for such displaced books in exchange for new books in the same branch 
an amount not less than the highest amount allowed on the lowest price 
in any other state, county, city, or district, and which said amount shall 
lie specifically set out in each bid. Said exchanged books to be returned 
to the publishers or their agents within one year after the beginning 
of said contract according to their direction and at the expense of said 
contracting publisher. 



Exhibit M. 

CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. 

OFFICE COMMISSIONER OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS. 

Sacramento, December 18, 1916. 
Mr. A. P. Will, 

Legislative Counsel Bureau, 

Capitol Building, Sacramento, California. 
Dear Sir: 

I am submitting herewith information concerning the number of 
pupils using each of the textbooks listed by the State Board of Education 
during the year 1915-1916. 

This information was compiled at the request of the special committee 
of Senate and Assembly appointed to investigate the high school text- 
book situation. 

The statistics given are as accurate as we can make them. In some 
instances pupils enrolled in a subject use no textbook; in other instances 
they use two or three ; in consequence the total number of pupils 
reported as using the textbooks in algebra, for example, may not tally 
with the total number of pupils taking the subject. 

Hoping that this information will be satisfactory, I am. 
Very truly yours, 

Will C. Wood, 
Commissioner of Secondary Schools. 



120 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



ALGEBRA. Pupils 

Text using 

Hawkes-Luby-Touton ,- 10,5 4 3 

Wells-Hart 2,192 

Wentworth-Smith 532 

Slaught-Lennes — 2,836 

Wells 280 

Cajori & Odell's Elementary Algebra 55 

Brookman 16 

Short-Elson — 61 

Stone-Millis — _- 37S 

Foung-Jackson, Elementary Algebra *. 60 

Collins' Practical Algebra 100 

Breslich 140 

Milne 15 



GEOMETRY. 



HISTORY — American. 



17.20S 



Wentworth-Smith, Plane and Solid Geometry 6,655 

Shutt, Plane and Solid Geometry : 353 

Ford-Ammermann, Plane and Solid Geometry — 853 

Stone-Millis, Elementary Algebra 365 

Wells. Geometry 246 

Hart-Feldman, Plane and Solid Geometry 188 

Wells-Hart , 30 

Beeman-Smith — 29S 

Betz-Webb 1,039 

Short-Ellson 36 

Robbins 30 

Slaught-Lennes • 9 

Wentworth 4 i :; 



10,575 



Muzzy 5,92S 

Hart, Essentials in American History — 200 

('banning, Students' History of the United States 357 

West, American History and Government 57 1 

James-Sanford, American History 441 

McLaughlin, A History of the American Nation 61 

Adams 9 

Ashley, American History 46. > 

Forman, A History of the United States. — 346 

Montgomery 7 30 

8,507 
H ISTORY— Ancient. 

Wolfson, Essentials in Ancient History — . 92 

"West, Ancient World (revised) 4,276 

Botsford, History of the Ancient World 6S4 

Myers, Ancient History 1,507 

Goodspeed, A History of the Ancient World 63 

Webster, Ancient History 1,466 

Robinson-Beard, Outlines of European History 546 

Ashley (both books) 138 

Westermann — — •_'! 

Morey °' 

8,886 
HISTORY — Medieval and Modern. 

Harding, New Medieval and Modern History 2,939 

Myers, Medieval and Modern History J'?ol 

West, American History and Government 1,184 

Robinson-Beard, Outlines of European History 354 

Robinson "41 

6,325 
HISTORY— English. 

Cheyney, A Shorl History of England 1.995 

Walker, Essentials in English History 140 

Andrews, Short History of England— "" 

Thomas, History of England 

Wesl f_°_ 

2,254 



REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 121 



ENGLISH — Oration and Argument. Pupils 

oxt using 

radley's Orations and Arguments 1,174 

Shurter, Masterpieces of Modern Oratory 1,414 

Laycock-Spofford, Manual of Argumentation 35 

Gardiner's, The Making of Arguments 130 

McMillan 12 

Denny, Duncan and McKinney 115 

Webster : 24 

Fulton and Trueblood 21 

Hall 57 

Burke's Orations — — 126 

Boardman's Modern American Speeches 176 

Foster, Exposition and Argument 25 

Pattee, Practical Argumentation 30 



ENGLISH — Grammar. 



3,339 



Allen, Review of English Grammar for Secondary Schools 1,169 

Mead, English Language and Its Grammar 70 

Kittredge-Farley, Advanced English Grammar _, 369 

Buehler, Modern English Grammar 7 

Harris-Gilbert 542 

Scott-Buck, A Brief English Grammar — 24 

Clippinger 243 

Brooks' Composition 338 

Prince, Practical English Grammar — 496 

Wisely, An English Grammar , 64 

Hitchcock 740 

Carpenter 49 



ENGLISH— Heroic Ballads. 



4,111 



Gayley-Flaherty, Poetry of the People 7,701 

Armes, Old English Ballads 1,163 

Withan 19 

Palmer 53 

Smith, Oral English for Secondary Schools — 100 

Seward, Narrative and Lyric Poems for Students — 231 

Kinard, Old English Ballads 177 



9,444 
ENGLISH— Myths. 

Gayley, Classic Myths-- 8,844 

Guerber, Myths of Northern Lands 2,386 

Palmer 21 

Francillon 108 

Gayley-Guerber 57 

Long, American Literature 81 



ENGLISH — History of Literature. 



11,497 



Long, American Literature -_ — 3,962 

Halleck (three books) — 778 

Pancoast-Shelly, First' Book in English Literature 227 

Gayley- Young — . 14 

Mackenzie, History of English Literature _ 19 

Tappan (three books) — 108 

Moody, Lovett and Boynton 22 

Howe (two books) 7 

Cranshaw 22 

Newcomer- Andrews 13 

Brooks, .History of English Literature . 153 

Tisdel. Studies in Literature 67 

Simon's American Literature-- 60 

Johnson — 12 



ENGLISH — American Literature (History). 



5,464 



Long, American Literature 393 

Howe (two books) = 33 

Tappan (two books) 237 

Newcomer- Andrews 28 

Halleck (three books) 281 

Pace's American Literature 311 

Page, Chief American Poets 15 

Pancoast. An Introduction to English Literature 59 

Brooks, History of English Literature 33 

Abernethy 109 

Cairns, American Literature for Secondary Schools 31 

1,530 



122 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

ENGLISH — Selections of Prose. Pupils 

Text using 

Ashmun's Modern Prose and Poetry 2,326 

Simon's American Literature 62 

Emerson 13 

Scribner's Stories from American Authors 37 

Pocket American — 62 

Duncan, Beck & Graves, Prose Selections G29 

Ashley It; 

Snyder 25 

Raskin 14 

Gayley- Young, English Poetry 163 

Gateway Series 4 

Rhys 126 

Shurter, Masterpieces of Modern Oratory_____ 14o 



ENGLISH — Selections of Poetry. 



COMPOSITION— Rhetoric. 



SCIENCE — Chemistry Laboratory Manual. 



SCIENCE— Chemistry Text. 



SCIENCE— Physics Text. 



3,617 



Gayley- Young, English Poetry, Its Principles and Progress 14,505 

Syle, Milton to Tennyson , 250 

Sheffield. Old Testament Narrative.-- 24 

Gateway Series of English Classics 52 

Page, Chief American Poets „__ 85 

Baldwin — — 2 7 

Long, American Literature 50 

Newcomer-Andrews 12 

Riverside Series 19 

Shakespeare _- 10 



15,0:',4 



Lockwood-Emerson, Composition and Rhetoric 22S 

Scott-Denny, New Composition Rhetoric-- 1,840 

Brooks (two books) X.9S4 

Wboley .. l . n 2 r, 

Clippinger. Composition-Rhetoric -_ 2.759 

Brooks-Hubbard, Composition-Rhetoric 507 

Briggs-McKinney, First Book of Composition 3,216 

Davenport, A First Book in English ^ 135 

Kavana-Beatty, Composition and Rhetoric — 50 

Blaisdell — — 31 

Gerrish -Cunningham, Practical English Composition 1,869 

Hanson, English Composition-- 898 

Kittredge-Farley, Advanced English Grammar 72 

Hitchcock's (four books) 665 

Canby-Opdycke, Elements of Composition 317 

Gardner, Kittredge and Arnold, Manual of Composition -- 402 

Thorndyke 4 



>3,87: 



Brownlee and others (two books) 1,088 

McPherson-Henderson (two books) 921 

Smith. Textbook of Elementary Chemistry 712 

Newell (two books) _,_ -- ::tjs 

Whitmore, Combination Chemistry Manual 174 

Morgan-Lyman, Elementary Textbook in Chemistry 2,045 

Bradbury. Inductive and Elementary Chemistry— 59 

Kahlenberg-Hart, Chemistry and its Relations to Daily Life 13 

Hessler-Smith, Essentials of Chemistry - 189 



5,569 



Brownlee and others, First Principles of Chemistry 1,965 

McPherson-Henderson, Exercises in Chemistry 1,164 

Smith. Laboratory Outline of Elementary Chemistry 1.19:: 

Morgan-Lyman, Laboratory Manual in Chemistry--. 1,955 

Xeweii, Laboratory Manual 383 

Kahlenberg-Hart, Chemistry and lis Relations to Daily Life 13 

Hessler-Smith, Essentials of Chemistry ._ 43 

Bradbury (two books)___ 93 



6,809 



Milliken-Gale, A First Course in Physics 1,8,4 

Coleman (two hooks) _ — Two 

Black-Davis ■- 1,337 

Carhart-Chute i two i»>oks) lt., 

Tower-Smith-Turton, Principles of Physics 87 

Hoadley, Essentials of Physics 4:; 

4,174 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 123 

PHYSICS — Laboratory Manual. Pupils 

Text using 

Coleman 1,424 

Milliken-Gale-Bishop : 392 

Black-Davis 262 

Cavanagh-Wescott-Twining . 1,215 

Carhart-Chute ' 34 

Fuller- Brownlee 30 



3,357 
SCIENCE— General. 

Clark, & Laboratory Manual 903 

Snyder __ 1,509 

Rowell 196 

Coldwell & Eichenbery S47 

Hessler-Smith 55 



3,516 
SCIENCE — Physical Geography. 

Tarr, New Physical Geography 637 

Arey-Bryant-Clendenin-Morrey, Physiography 1,001 

Dryer, High School Geography 263 

Salisbury-Barrows-Tower, Modern Geography 48 

Fairbanks, Practical Physiography 32 

Snyder — 39 



2,020 
SCIENCE — Physiology. 

Eddy, Textbook in General Physiology and Anatomy 56 

Hough-Sedgwick, Human Mechanism 873 

Peabody ' 32 

Conn-Buddington 71 

Ritchie's Sanitation and Physiology 76 

Davison, Human Body and Health 255 

1,233 
SCIENCE — Domestic Texts. 

Morris — IS 

Farmer 127 

Snell 113 

Williams and Fisher — 165 

Kinney-Cooley '. 1,403 

Campbell 214 

Lilly-Frick 82 

Weid -_ 2 7 

Fullerton 16 

Olsen 56 

Bailey : — 30 

Greer . 2 

Conley — IS 

Blanchard -- 6 

Parloa 2 4 

Rose 53 



2,356 
CO M M E RC I A L— Law. 

Richardson 48 

Huffcutt 825 

Gano 2 82 

Nichols-Rogers , 107 

Wliigam 56 

Parkinson 68 

1,386 
COMMERCIAL — Correspondence. 

Practical Textbook Company 27 

Hogan 1S1 

Belding , 131 

Cody 96 

Buhlig 1,976 

Erskine _ ,, 30 

Davis & Lingham 359 

Gregg 64 

Smith & Mayne 59 

So Relle l_, 44 

Altmier 597 

Webber 12 

International Correspondence , . 26 

Marshall . 9 

3,611 



12-1 REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

COMMERCIAL — Arithmetic. Pupils 

Text using 

Van Tryle :- 2,600 

Moore-Miner • 2,526 

Thurston 1,194 

Schenck 2 7 

Sweet 1 92 

Lyons 8S 

Robinson 4 

Smith 7 

6,507 
COMMERCIAL — Typewriting. 

Smith 162 

Cutler-So Relle 1,047 

Remington Company si 

Rational 297 

So Relle 542 

Barnes 325 

Gregg 908 

Eldridge 93 

Underwood 18 

Fuller 11 

Fritz-Eldridge --• 1,936 

Knox 29 

Mosher 102 

Van Sant 202 

6,653 
COM MERICAL— Speller. 

Osborn 1 83 

So Relle 144 

Eldridge 2,165 

Mayne 285 

Atwood 790 

Gregg 161 

Kimball 23 

Marshall 22 1 

Osborn & King 583 

I >alv 9 

< !hew 430 

Miller 28 

"Words" .. 4 

So Relle & Ritt 30 

Loomis 90 

5,091 
COMMERCIAL — Bookkeeping. 

Wm. Rogers 2,468 

Moore-Miner 2,181 

Baker , 237 

Rowe 1,403 

Neal 362 

Webber 76 t 

M. M. B .__ 357 

20th Century 47 

Marshall 54 

Pierce 30 

G. M. is 

Palmer 25 

So Relle & Ritt 

Bliss 107 

8,138 
COMMERCIAL — Penmanship. 

Palmer , 1,353 

Zaner 1,608 

Mills 585 

Rodgers 272 

American Penman 41 

Business Journal ., 31 

Zaner & Bloser 82 

Lester 14 

3,986 

LATIN — Grammar. 

Beimel I, Latin ( lianimar 1,716 

Allen-Greenough, New Latin Grammar 2,825 

Nutting _ __ __ 112 

D'Ooge ,__ 32 

Gunnison-Harley L0 

Gildersleeve-Lodge, Latin Grammar .. 1 

Collar-Daniel l, First Latin Book '. 2.". 

Greenough 66 

4,817 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 125 

LATIN — First Book. Pupils 

Text U3ing 

Nutting (three books) 427 

Moulton, Introductory Latin »40 

D'Ooge — 2,07o 

Smith (two books) ' ?A 

Mitchell, Elements of Latin 10 

Bennett, First Year Latin °7 

JpGcirson ■' &ix 

Inglis-Prettyman, First Book in Latin 83 

Tuell-Fowler, A First Latin Book 654 

Kirtland-Rogers, Introduction to Latin ; 78 

Gunnison-Harley 96 

Collar-Daniell 2o4 

7,615 
LATIN — Composition. 

Pearson, Prose Composition _ 177 

Baker-Inglis, High School Course in Latin Composition 1,36b 

Bennett lb g 

Nutting, Exercises in Latin Composition s 

Rolfe-Dennison, Junior Latin Book ' < 

Daniell, A New Latin Composition — 39 

Gunnison-Harley ■< 7o 

Allen-Phillips, Latin Composition 131 

Barss, Writing Latin 54 

Daniell-Brown "1 

Jones ' „„i 

D'Ooge 1.368 

3,455 
LATIN— Cassar. 

Allen-Greenough, New Caesar 651 

Gunnison-Harley, Gallic War 850 

Greenough-D'Ooge and Daniell, Second Latin Book 1,036 

Walker, Caesar's Gallic War . 348 

Towle-Jenks, Caesar: Gallic War 1,101 

Miller-Beeson, Second Latin Book 143 

Bennett 71 

Mather . 37 

Roberts- Rolfe — 47 

Rolfe-Dennison, Junior Latin Book : 787 

Kelsey, Cassar: Gallic War . 32 

4,960 
SPANISH— Readers. 

Bransby, A Spanish Reader 253 

Harrison, Spanish Commercial Reader 2,894 

Worman, Second Spanish Book , 1,899 

Carrion-Asa, Zaragueta 44 

Hill, Tales for Beginners 72 

Whentoff 12 

Turrell, Spanish Reader 64 

Cortina , 158 

Dowling 20 

Bonilla : 74 

Alarcon , 29 

Padre Isla Z 7 

Marion-Garennes 187 

Giese-Cool 2S 

Wagner 63 

5,775 
SPANISH — Composition. 

Umphrey, Spanish Prose Composition , 1,492 

Crawford, Spanish Composition 944 

Loiseaux, Spanish Composition 61 

Harrison, Spanish Correspondence 30 

Remy, Spanish Composition 38 

2,626 
SPANISH — Grammar. 

Garennes 149 

Hill 2,294 

Garner, Spanish Grammar 25 

Olmstead-Gordon, Spanish Grammar 599 

Coester 2,212 

DeVitis' Spanish Grammar .=. 359 

Giese, A First Book in Spanish 24 

Worman 9 

Marion-Garennes , 46 

Wagner 214 

Mousanto-Languellier, Practical Spanish Course 172 

Ingraham-Edgren 200 

6,303 



126 REPOBT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 



SPANISH — Beginners. Pupils 

Text using 

Wurman 2,1 !i I 

Olmstead-Gordon 76 

• larennes 97 s 

Hill 32 

de Whentoff 24 

I »owling 902 

Harrison 347 

Marien-Garennes 572 

Giese 24 

Bransby 358 

5.075 
FRENCH — Composition. 

Francois, Introductory Prose Composition 495 

Koren, Exercises in French Composition 27 

Kimball S3 

Lazare, Premieres Lectures 10 

Carter _ 39 

Grandgent, French Composition 19 

Bouvet, Syntax and Composition---- 10 

Comfort, Exercises in French Composition , 76 



891 
FRENCH— Readers. 

Talbot, La Francais et sa Patrie 31 

Aldrich-Foster 310 

Super, Preparatory French Reader 9 

Snow-Lebon, Easy French 17 

Jovnes, Contes de Fies 3 

Manet 12 

Lazare, Premieres Lectures _■_ 192 

Syms 20 

Chardenal, Complete French Course 17 

Morneaux 44 

Guerber 97 

Bruno 9 2 

David. Chez Nous 1- 50 

Bruce 14 

Heath 11 

Francois-Giroud, Simple French 96 

Weill (two books) 10 

Ballard, Oral French 420 

Dumas 14 

1.449 

FRENCH — Beginners. 

Fraser-Squair, Elementary French 541 

Worman 5 

Super , 13 

Snow-Lebon 93 

1 Inward 51 

Labiche 7 

Ballard 369 

Aldrich-Foster , 8 

Maloubier and Moore, First Book 71 

Lazare 12 

Francois 29 

Bruce, Lectures Faciles 66 

I Hipres 6 

Chardenal, Complete French Course 226 

Krause i , 25 

1,522 
FRENCH — Grammar. 

Fraser-Squair -- 1,4 74 

Chardenal 628 

Francois 6 I 

Aldrich 2 7 

Walter- Ballard — 6 

Howard -' 1 

2,223 



REPORT OF TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 127 

GERMAN — Composition. Pupils 



GERMAN — Reader. 



Mosher-Jennj 



using 
76 
93 



Text 

Wesselhoeft (two books) r - 

Harris Selections for German Composition 

Allen, First German Composition £>»<> 

Pope (two books) -"' 

Bernhardt, German Composition £»° 

Bacon 6 ^ 

Boetzinger __ 6 ^ 

Truscott-Smith c % 

Chiles b ? 

Mineley- Allen j> 

Whitney-Stroebe __ &9 



1,282 



Muller-Wenckbach, Gluck Auf '»ll 

Holzwarth, Gruss aus Deutschland z »j> 

Carruth, A German Reader : ljj 

Worman (two books) «j» 

Manlee - 1,215 

Spanhoofd, Erstes Lesebuch — 229 

Walter Krause, German Reader 480 

Allen, First German Composition 29 

Guerber 143 

Martini, First German Reader 39 

Hewett 4o 

Geschichten und Marchen ; 84 

Gerstacher 6 

3,783 
GERMAN — Beginners. 

Thomas, A Practical German Grammar 276 

Spanhoofd (two books) 1 'ri- 

Bacon 50 » 

Bagster-Collins *6 

Joynes-Meissner, German Grammar : 46 

Gohdes und Buschek 71 

Bernstorff 83 

Bierwirth . 49 

Gronow 9 

Vander Smissen . 116 

Worman , 8 

Vos ^ 8 



3,478 
GERMAN — Beginners. 

Krause 596 

Spanhoofd 1,616 

Bacon 404 

Bagster-Collins 74 

Guerber 14 

Hempl 6 

Heinze , 61 

Holzwarth _Z 10 

Gronow-Jung, Deutschland 98 

Worman 11 

Allyn and Bacon 2 

Collar, First Book 2 

Bierwirth 32 

Muller-Wenckbach 29 

Vos ] 6 

•Toynes-Meissner 20 

1 29 

3,010 



128 REPORT OP TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE. 

Exhibit N. 
[Conclusions of Ontario Commission.] 

. The list of books authorized for high schools and collegiate institutes 
is unnecessarily large owing chiefly to there being more than one book 
authorized in a subject. In the authorized list there are two reading 
books, three books on composition, two on geography, two on British 
history, two on Canadian history, two on arithmetic, two on algebra, 
three on geometry, three in Latin, and two on bookkeeping. The 
method and matter to be taught has, surely long before this, become 
pretty well defined, and could be contained in one book of moderate size. 
( Jheapness of production is almost out of the question when two or three 
books are authorized in a subject and produced by different publishers. 
Again, it often occurs that a pupil moves from one high school to 
another, and is compelled to buy new books to enable him to take up 
the work with the class. * * * * * 

The price of nearly all high school books is too high, and could be 
materially reduced and still allow a fair profit to the publisher. 

There is a heavy expenditure by pupils of high schools aud continua- 
tion classes for annotated texts in English Literature, Latin, Greek, 
French and German. The texts prescribed are usually padded by notes 
and other matter, causing the pupils to pay from 50 cents to $1.25 for 
selections that should cost less than one-third of those sums. 

Enterprising publishers manufacture blank books with specially ruled 
lines to suit certain subjects at too great an advance on the price of 
ordinary foolscap paper. 

Some means should be devised by the Education Department to 
prohibit the use of these blank forms. The pupil might do his own 
ruling on foolscap paper for all school exercises necessitating the use 
of blank forms. 



